


Old Enemies

by dairesfanficrefuge_archivist



Category: Earth: Final Conflict, Poltergeist: The Legacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-08-09
Updated: 2001-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-18 06:19:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 44,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11868435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist/pseuds/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	Old Enemies

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

Old Enemies by KarenK

_Old Enemies_

By KarenK 

A _Poltergeist the Legacy/Earth Final Conflict_ fanfic 

**Status:** finished   
**Rating:** PG-13   
**Episode spoilers:** Some eps from the four years mentioned 

**Disclaimer:** This story is an original work of amateur fiction, and is written purely for the private entertainment of P:TL fans. This story is no way affiliated with Trilogy, MGM Worldwide Television or The Sci-Fi Channel. The characters are their property, and this story is not meant to infringe upon the copyrights of MGM, Trilogy, or any other organization that owns an interest in "Poltergeist: The Legacy". 

**Episode spoilers:** Some eps from the four years mentioned. 

**Webmistress's note:** Thanks to MissyD for helping beta-read this for me. 

* * *

From the dawn of time, they have fought evil in all it's supernatural forms holding back the unholy powers that threaten to consume the world and destroy humanity. A secret society, they operate in every corner of the globe, forever vigilant in their cause. They are warriors....philosophers....scientists and the world's last hope against the darkness. They are the LEGACY. 

Since the beginning of time, mankind has existed between the world of light and the world of darkness. Our secret society has been here forever protecting others from the creatures who inhabit the shadows and the night. Known only to the initiated by our true name. The Legacy. 

**PART 1**

**San Francisco, 2000**

Derek Rayne sat on the patio and drank coffee as he surveyed the Luna Foundation estate. At fifty years of age, he was in better shape than most men half his age. With graying, brown hair and sharp, intelligent hazel eyes that seemed to bore a hole through a person's soul, Rayne was considered formidable by those he'd come up against, human and non-human alike. He was considered charming, educated and relentless. Women fawned over him, men envied him, and Rayne didn't seem to notice any of it. As Legacy Precept, he was above such things. 

He ran the San Francisco Legacy house and only answered to William Sloan, Legacy Precept of the London House, the ruling house. His team consisted of Phillip Callahan, an Irish Catholic Priest, Rachel Corrigan, a doctor and resident skeptic, Nick Boyle, an ex-Navy SEAL named, Kristen Adams, a child prodigy, and Alex Moreau, a fellow psychic. His partner, Karen Roarke, topped off the pile. It was Derek's trademark to be the enigma of the group, but he never could make heads or tails of her. 

Derek watched as Karen stretched to ready her body for her morning run. Both Nick and Alex were still asleep and would run later. At that hour only crazy people, Karen and, of course, Derek were up and wandering around. Karen was a chestnut haired, hazel eyed beauty of five feet, four and a half inches, who usually set men drooling either from her well-endowed body or from her well endowed mind. She'd been sent to replace Julia Walker in April, 1996, after Julia's death in Ireland, where the team had been tracking down a sepulchre, one of five that held five fallen angels that had been trapped by the Druids. Together the five sepulchres could create, as Nick joked, an express elevator to hell; and the team wasn't too thrilled at having all five stored in the house's sub-basement. 

He looked up from his musing to see Karen had already left on her jog and got up to go into the kitchen to refresh his coffee before starting on the expense reports for which London was screaming. He would send the reports to London after he had reviewed them. When Alex had asked what she should tell London about the reports, he'd said, 'Tell them Satan has risen up and taken over the world, so we must be doing something right.' To say the least, Sloan wasn't amused. 

Karen jogged along the path, intent on keeping the run short because she had a great deal of work to finish, but what she saw slumped across the path changed her mind. When she ran over to the lump and turn it over, she saw a man with short brown hair and blue eyes. He was out cold but otherwise seemed all right. She checked his pockets and came up with a wallet. It was empty. No identification usually hinted at a mugging, but the island was covered by the most up-to-date security equipment, and there was no way he could have arrived without someone knowing - unless he hadn't arrived in a conventional manner. She stroked back his hair and was hit with an overwhelming wave of pain. Out of the pain a name resounded in her mind. _Liam!_ Karen knew it had to be the man's name, but who exactly he was and what was he doing on Angel Island? 

* * *

Roarke called out to a guard passing on his patrol. With his help and that of a couple of other guards they got the man on a stretcher and back to the house. As she ordered the men to settle him in a guestroom, she sent one to get Rachel and to tell her to bring her bag. Derek, drawn by all the activity, entered the foyer. 

'What's going on?' he asked. 

'We have a visitor who can get past state-of-the-art security, but obviously can't retain consciousness after doing it,' she replied. 

Derek frowned. 'Do we know who he is?' 

'No. You better get Karmack and Royce on it,' she said, before following the men up to the guest room. 

Detectives Frank Karmack and David Royce were the San Francisco PD liaisons for the Luna Foundation. Frank had met Derek when, as Frank had explained to Rachel, Derek had saved him from something big and hairy with teeth and claws. Derek had shrugged and murmured, 'Aztec shapeshifter.' 

Royce had met the team after the mysterious disappearance of two men. After having been seen leaving a bar with a woman the two men had disappeared after a bright light. They had been heard screaming in terror. Royce had found a knife that thesecond victim was known to carry, but the lab had found some pretty weird stuff in the blood on it. He had called and requested Rachel's help. She soon found the disappearances to be the result of an old friend of Nick's, who the team had previously come up against. A succubus named Karen Morgan had been sucking the life out of men while nurturing an obsessive, fatal attraction for Nick. 

Derek and Nick had finally tricked her to Pier 3, and Nick, pretending to care for her, had slipped on handcuffs while Derek wrapped a length of chain around her legs and then hit the level of a winch, causing her to be dragged into the bay, where, it was thought, she'd drowned. Before it was over Royce had been temporarily blinded and Nick's old Navy SEAL buddy, Mike, had been killed. 

A succubus appeared to its victim as the person the victim desired, so Royce being attacked by a woman he'd thought was Rachel was very telling about the good detective's feelings for Rachel. Roarke was happy for Rachel, who'd lost her husband, Patrick, and son, Connor, in a car crash that she and her daughter, Katherine, 'Kat', had survived a year before she joined the Legacy. She'd also lost her first-born, a daughter named Paige, in a fall down a flight of stairs. On top of that, she had to deal with evil forces trying to get to Kat because of her gift of sight. 

It wasn't easy for the good doctor, but then it wasn't easy for any of them to maintain relationships that turned out to be a set up by the dark side to destroy the team or keep secrets from the few normal guys they got to meet. She remembered one of Alex's complaint sessions when Rachel and Kristen had tried to cheer her up. 'At least we travel the world, even if all we ever see are tombs and graveyards,' Rachel had teased. 

Kristen had chimed in with, 'Yeah, and we meet interesting people even if they are dead.' Alex had laughed, as was their intention, and immediately felt better. 

By the time Roarke had Liam settled in Rachel was entering the room, followed by Alex. 

Rachel was a tall, good-looking, blue-eyed blonde in her forties. Karen silently wished her legs were as great as Rachel's in ten years time. Alex was a young black woman with black curls that reached just past her shoulders and warm, friendly brown eyes. Alex was drop dead gorgeous and could have her pick of men, jobs, etc. Yet, she was so warm, friendly and affectionate you just had to love her. Alex had been the first to truly welcome Roarke, despite being best friends with Julia Walker. Nick, her fiancé, had been a little cold, and Derek was a little cold daily. 

Derek could give Spock lessons on how to be a logical, non-emotional person. She didn't blame him though, when he'd been a teenager he'd seen a fallen angel escape a sepulchre and murder his father, Winston Rayne, right in front of him. Derek had trapped the fallen angel and returned to his father, only to have his father give him his precept's ring and say the burden was his before dying in his son's arms. After that Derek had lost at least two women he'd loved to the dark side and nearly lost his sister, Ingrid, a nun, and his mother, Barbara. He'd also lost his only son, Lucas, when the boy had been murdered with his mother, Laura, and buried beneath a peach tree in an orchard, only to be found years later. 

Phillip had lost his brother and Nick had lost his father, Robert, and brother, Jimmy, to the dark side. Karen was glad Nick got to settle things with his father, though. Robert had been loved by the Legacy members he'd worked with. No one at home had known he'd been a violent drunk forcing his older son, Jimmy, out before the boy gave into the urge to kill him. That left ten year old Nick to help his mom. When his father was murdered when he was fifteen, Nick didn't grieve but, instead, felt relief. Two years ago Robert's ghost had come to Nick to warn him that Robert's murderer had returned and to beg for Nick's help to set his spirit free. As Robert had said, 'I wasn't born a monster. I was raised one.' Afterward, Nick finally brought himself to read the last letter his dad had sent him before being killed. It was a plea from Robert to forgive him. He had said that when he returned he would seek help and that Nick deserved a father that he could be proud of, the way Robert had always been proud of Nick. Robert hadn't returned, though, but instead, had been murdered by his partner, who'd been tempted into a dark side pact. 

Nick, wearing his holster, soon followed Rachel and Alex and took up a position by the door to talk with the guard she had called. She supposed the guard was filling him in on what had happened, the same as she was doing with Alex and Rachel. 

Nick was a muscular, good looking thirty-year-old with close cropped brown hair and green eyes, which he saucily winked at her when he saw her glance over at him. That was Nick for ya', always a crack, or a joke or some silly thing, but when it mattered he was always there. He'd had a temper, but over the four years she'd been on the team he had matured a great deal and managed to control his quick temper more each day. 

'Do we know his name?' asked Rachel. 

'Liam.' Karen had answered distractedly. 

'You found his id?' 

'No I....' she trailed off, as she realized what she was saying and saw the recognition in Rachel's eyes. The name had come from the use of her gift - the one she refused to admit she had, let alone desired to use. The others didn't know why she was dead set against admitting she had any talent, but then they hadn't been in her shoes when the incident happened. She'd sworn never to use her gifts ever again on the chance that someone else would die because of her. 

* * *

Liam stirred as Rachel started putting away her things in her doctor's bag. His eyes fluttered open, and he looked around. He blinked his eyes, and then blinked them harder. Karen shifted on the bed next to him. 'Whose there?' he asked, slightly panicked. He was looking straight at her but couldn't see her. 

'It's all right, I'm a doctor.' Rachel said as she started to reexamine his eyes. 

Liam held still but Karen could tell from the tense way he held his body he was afraid. 

'Your eyes should recover given time, Mister?' 

'Liam Kincaid,' he replied. 'Where am I?' 

'Angel Island,' responded Karen, smiling at the puzzled look on his face. 'It's called that because, according to legend, some hunters, while hunting on the island, came across an opening to hell. An angel popped up and saved the hunters, sealing the portal to hell before riding off into the sunset,' Karen said mischievously. 

Liam smiled. ' What's the date?' he asked, wondering just how long he'd been out. 

'It's November 6, 2000,' said Alex. 

Karen noticed the strange tensing of Liam's body, but said nothing. 

'November 6, 2000, on Angel Island?' he repeated to himself in a puzzled tone. 

'If it helps, the island is off the coast of San Francisco, California,' said Karen. 

'Helps a lot, since I'm from Washington, D.C.,' Liam replied with a playful grin. He didn't mention that he was from Washington, D.C., 2010. He wondered if he'd somehow traveled back in time to the year 2000 or, like with Jason and Maya, this was another universe that wasn't proceeding as quickly as his. 

'I think we should clear out and give Mr. Kincaid some breathing space,' Rachel chided the others. 

'I think it's more like Captain Kincaid,' Nick stated. 

'Very good, but the rank's Major, Mister?' 

'Nick Boyle, I provide security here at the Luna Foundation,' he answered Liam's unspoken question. 

'We'll be leaving now, and let Karen fill you in,' Rachel said, and made shooing motions to Alex and Nick. Rachel had a habit of being a bit bossy at times. Karen smiled gently; it must come from being a mother. 

'I'll bring you something to eat in a bit,' said Alex. 

They turned to leave and bumped into Derek as he entered the room. They quickly left without a word; they knew when to disappear. 

'I'm Karen Roarke, and this is Derek Rayne.' 

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' Derek responded in a measured European accent. He'd been born in San Francisco, but both he and his sister had been raised by their mother, Barbara, in Holland when they weren't in boarding schools. 

'Major Liam Kincaid, US Army Special Forces.' Liam held out his hand, and as Derek shook it he was struck by a vision. He couldn't make sense of it, as it was just a blur of images, sounds, and emotions. The images he did recognize, though, were of space as seen from outer space. Astronauts were well known, and Derek didn't remember a Liam Kincaid, but he got the impression that Liam Kincaid had spent time in space! 

* * *

Karen raised an eyebrow at Derek's reaction to their guest but remained silent. She noticed his reaction, although no one else would have. Derek prided himself on mind over emotion and would be unhappy to know his partner could read him like a book. Derek was very good at hiding emotions or reactions from long practice over years of fighting demons, vampires and so on, but Karen had a special heritage that allowed her to see straight to a person's soul. She didn't tell Derek that because he was an intensely private man. He told the team what he thought they needed to know and, on occasion, his withholding information had caused fights between Derek and a team member, but in the end it was always forgiven. 

The team stood by their precept, even when everything made Derek look like one of the guys they should be fighting. Her first year there had been a tribunal after Derek had been accused of siding with the dark side and attempting to destroy the San Francisco Legacy house. He'd almost been convicted until he stabbed one of the tribunal members, proving him to be the one who had made the pact with the dark side, and not Derek. Last year Reed Horton had returned on one of his many trips from the grave to try to destroy Derek for killing him twenty years ago. He had killed an IA member and took his appearance to bring about Derek's downfall. As usual he'd made the mistake of underestimating the team's faith in their leader. 

'I'm glad we could help you Major Kincaid. Could you tell us how you came about ending up being found by my associate on a path? How exactly did you get around the estate's security system and guards?' he asked, ignoring Karen's reproachful glance. She obviously thought that Kincaid needed more time to recover, and Derek's quest for answers didn't sit well with her. 

'That's a good question, the last thing I remember was I was at work in Washington and then nothing until I woke up here,' Liam responded. 

'Excuse us, Major, we'll let you get some rest.' Karen started towards the door, but when Derek didn't follow she came over to him and, grabbing his arm, put some strength into propelling the precept from the room. She glanced at Liam before closing the door quietly behind her. 

'I know what you're going to say....' he began. 

'Don't give me that Derek!' she chided, and he could almost see her shaking her finger at him as if he were a child in trouble. He was fifty, and she was thirty-three, which made her seventeen years his junior. Yet he always felt like a child getting scolded when she turned her rare moments of temper on him. 'My feelings tell me he's a good guy, Derek,' she hissed at him in a disapproving tone. 

'I need more than your feelings on this. Remember Emma?' Derek asked. 

'Not fair. Liam isn't Emma!' she protested. Emma Scott had been a girl who'd come to them for help. Nick had championed her cause, but until Emma was truly repentant for her deed the Legacy couldn't help her. She had offered her soul to see her sister dead, never realizing that someone was listening and had accepted her offer. When the time for payment came Emma wasn't willing to pay. She had offered Nick's soul and anybody's soul to the devil chasing her. As far she was concerned, the devil could take the whole planet as long as she wasn't involved. 'How can I forget Emma? Her mom taught her to share, even if it was only her damnation,' Karen quipped. 

* * *

Liam yawned and stretched as he sat up, wishing he could stay asleep. The bed was comfortable, but he had to find out how he'd come to be in San Francisco in the year 2000. He threw aside the covers and drew his legs to the edge of the bed. He slowly searched with his foot for the floor and waved his hands before him in an attempt to see if there were any obstacles. Next to the bed was a table with a lamp, but otherwise it seemed clear. He stood and trailed a hand along the bed until he reached the footboard. He heard a noise and followed it until he bumped into a window ledge. Reaching up, Liam managed to open a window and, from the breeze and sounds, he gathered he was on the second floor or higher. He again reached out before him, trying to find the bedroom door, when he heard a door open. 

'Good morning, Major, I brought you a change of clothes.' 

Liam blushed when he realized he was wearing someone's pajamas and had no memory of changing. 

Karen smiled but refrained from laughing as she realized that he'd had just become aware of his clothing and what it meant. 'Have a seat on the bed and I'll help you change,' she told him. Liam started to obey but then stopped as he realized what she said entailed. 

'I'd rather....' he trailed off. 

'Look, it doesn't matter to me whether you want to do it yourself or not. Despite your looks, Major, I assure you I can refrain from ravaging your gorgeous body,' she teased. 

Liam blushed even redder. She giggled and then led him over to the bed, where she helped him sit. 'Derek's closet was rummaged this time since you two have a similar build. If you need to use the bathroom it's right in front of you. Just stand and walked straight forward. The door is open and, after entering, the bathtub shower is on your left, and on your right is the sink. The toilet is straight ahead.' Karen helped him feel the clothing as she showed him where the snaps and buttons were. 'Do you think you can handle it?' 

'Yes,' Liam answered, relieved that he'd be able to dress himself. 

'I'll wait in the hall, and you can let me know when you're ready. I'll take you down to breakfast,' she answered. 

'That's not necessary,' Liam responded sheepishly at needing to be led around like a child. 

'Actually, unless you want to end up dancing with a suit of armor, I'll wait. There are some pieces of art and armor and such that can trip a person up.' 

Liam thanked her and then waited until she left before changing into the clothing she'd given him. After changing, he laid the pajamas on the bed and worked his way over to the door. Opening it he stepped out into the hallway where Karen took his arm. 'The stairs are this way.' She kept at his pace, and Liam realized she'd probably done this before. 

'So what is this place?' he asked. 

'The Luna Foundation? It does a little of this and a little of that. One day we might be examining artifacts and the next we're repairing artwork. I mostly work with the police on murders and such. Derek has degrees in forensics and bio-anthropology. Rachel is a medical doctor and psychiatrist. Alex has an anthropology degree and handles communications and computers. Phillip is ancient languages and religions, and Kristen is an archeologist. Nick is ex-Navy SEAL, and he heads security; but he also has done some genetics work. I have degrees in law and medicine, criminology, medical, Ph.D., etc., but I also do genealogies and research history. 

Liam let out a breath. 'Wow, lots of degrees,' he joked. 

'Definitely. Derek and I can be accused of being overachievers. Between us we've got more degrees than MIT.' She laughed. 'Steps going down here,' she said as she put his hand on the railing and then came around the other side to help him down the stairs to the landing. She turned him, and they went down some more stairs before heading down a corridor. As they got close Liam could smell food, and, to his embarrassment, his stomach rumbled loudly. 

'I gather that means you'll appreciate breakfast,' she teased. She led him into the kitchen and settled him into a chair before introducing him to the other team members as well as Kat, Rachel's twelve year old daughter. 'Who's cooking?' she asked. 

'I am,' answered Nick. 

'What are you trying to do? Give the poor man food poisoning?' she teased Nick. 

'I didn't hear you complaining about my coffee the other day.' Nick put on a look of mock injury. 

'Oh, you mean the one made of demon scales?' She crossed her eyes at him, and Kat laughed. 

'Kat, I'm hurt. You're siding with this traitor?' he asked in a voice that spoke of the great suffering he was feeling at the insult to his cooking. 

'Ah, Nick, something's burning,' said Alex as she sniffed the air. 

'My pancakes!' he yelled in panic as he stood and raced to the stove. He flipped the pancake. 'Major, you don't mind it a little well done do you?' he asked mischievously. 

'A pancake isn't a pancake unless it's a little crunchy,' Liam teased. 

'EW! Grody!' said Kat. 

'I knew I liked this guy!' Nick said. 

'Just don't let him cook you that monstrosity he calls an oyster omelet,' Karen teased. 

'Hey, that omelet is authentic Navy SEAL food!' he complained. 

'Yeah, and maybe one of these days you'll manage to balance a ball on your nose,' Karen teased as she placed a cup on the table and absentmindedly wrapped Liam's hand around the handle. 

'If you let them, they'll do this forever,' Rachel said. 

'Hey, I always follow the four food groups, nachos, chips, dip and....what group does beer belong to?' Nick asked. 

'How do you eat all the junk you do and still managed to stay in shape?' asked the voice Liam had associated with Kristen. 

'Metabolism, my dear. Besides, guys don't worry about their spreading hips.' He winked saucily at her. 

'Oh, I don't know. I got jabbed with a love handle last night when I curled into you while sleeping.' Alex stuck her tongue out at Nick. 

'You do have your own room, you know!' Nick exclaimed in mock outrage. 

'Oh, but then who would play with your love handles?' Alex asked mischievously. 

'Okay, now I'm going to leave. Bye, guys.' Kristen said and stood starting out of the room. 

'I've got to get Kat off to school. Besides, she's underage for this kind of conversation,' Rachel said as she gathered her daughter's things and followed Kristen out. 

'You're not leaving, Phillip?' Nick asked. 

'No. I'm used to you disgusting people by now,' Phillip replied in a soothing Irish lilt. 

'Liam, what about you?' Alex asked. 

'I'm used to it as well. Lily and Augur are the same way as Alex and Nick,' he answered. 

'Lily sounds like a real looker,' said Nick and then ducked the napkin Alex threw at him. 

'A real beauty,' responded Liam. 'For a Marine.' 

Nick laughed. 'A military gal. Now that I can get into.' Nick let out a yelp as Alex wrapped an arm around his neck and playfully pretended to strangle him. 

* * *

Liam smiled at the sound of the laughter because these people, even though they were total strangers, had found a way to be the family that he'd never found with Sandoval, his own father. Liam blinked as he realized the darkness was gray and getting lighter with each moment. Within minutes his vision had cleared, and he got his first look at the people who had accepted a stranger so willingly into their midst. Alex, with her brown curls flowing down her back, planted a kiss on Nick's cheek. Nick had his hair cut short and mischievous green eyes. Liam was about to say something about his sight, but then thought it might be better to keep the revelation to himself for the time being. Karen sat down across the table from him with a grin that transformed a pretty face into exquisitely beautiful. 

'So are you up to Nick's rendition of breakfast?' she teasingly asked him. 

'I'm up for anything,' he quipped. 

'Oh ho, another Nick in our midst. Sorry, but Nick is already our resident male chauvinist.' Alex gleefully screamed as Nick threatened her playfully with a spatula. 

'She will pay. Trust me on this,' Nick mockingly growled as he winked at Karen saucily. 

'I see the lunatics have escaped the asylum,' said Derek with a small smile as he entered the kitchen. 

'Sorry, but that's the way it is. We nuts are in charge now,' Alex said. 

'Would that be pecan or pistachios?' Liam asked playfully. 

'Are you sure you're not a Boyle?' Alex teased and looked with mock outrage as Nick swatted her rear as he passed her. 

'Absolutely. My mother's name was Siobhan, and my father's was Ronald,' he replied. 

'Siobhan, that's Irish isn't it?' asked Derek. 

Karen, realizing what he was up to jumped in. 'No, Derek, it's Czech.' Liam laughed. 

'See what I have to put up with on a daily basis?' Derek said. 

'Oh yes, you poor baby, you. If you're good, I'll give you cookies and milk later.' 

Liam chuckled. He had a hard time seeing Derek Rayne as the milk and cookies kind. He had graying brown hair and intense hazel eyes and could have taught Sandoval a thing or two about being threatening. Rayne seemed like the type that was always noticed because there was something primal about him, something that told a person he was best as a friend, because as an enemy you might be lucky to put your affairs in order before he took you out. 

Alex placed a plate in front of Liam and then told him where everything was using the clock as an example. 'Eggs at eleven and toast at two, sausage at seven and hash browns at five. I better get to work, so I'll see you later.' She smiled gently at Liam. She seemed like a very loving type of woman. 

'Work? I didn't know you guys worked here,' quipped Derek. Alex scrunched up her face at him and flounced out of the room. 

'I'll be going too. See ya later, boss. Have a good time, Red,' Nick called over to Karen. 

'Red?' asked Liam. Karen did have chestnut colored hair. 

'Nick's nickname for me. One of many, I assure you. I once told him that there are people known for their tempers - Hungarians, Irish, Latinos, New Yorkers and red heads. I also made the mistake of telling him my mother was of Hungarian heritage and my father Irish, and that I had a cousin married to a boy from Puerto Rico who had taught me a lot. He mixed that with my reddish-brown hair and the fact that I'm originally from New York, and now he delights in finding new nicknames, or at least new versions of the old ones,' she laughed. 

'Nick seems like a great guy.' 

'Nick? He's always teasing and joking and basically acting as if he has no intention of growing up, not to mention a wicked temper. But, when it matters, he's there for you.' 

Liam saw something in her eyes that he couldn't quite define. 

'I'd better get to work myself,' said Derek as he stood and refilled his coffee cup. 

'Derek, you have to eat. Coffee won't keep you going,' Karen chided. 

'I'll have something later, little mother,' he said, affectionately. 

'Yeah, like you'll see the doctor about your lower back problems?' she asked in a tone that suggested she didn't believe a word he was saying. 

'I'll make an appointment.' 

'Yeah, and I'm Tyra Banks,' she said huffily. 

'See you later....Tyra,' he said and ducked as she threw a dishtowel at him. 

'When you finish your breakfast I'll take you on tour of the grounds for some fresh air,' Karen said. 

'Little mother?' Liam murmured, puzzled by Derek's endearment. 

'So I have too much maternal instinct. Sue me. By the way, I do not make a Jewish mother look like a neglectful parent,' she said in a tone that suggested she was miffed, but the amusement in her eyes said something different. 

Liam finished, and Karen took his dishes to the sink before returning to help him up. Before they left the room an older gentleman appeared at the door. 

'My apologies, Miss Roarke,' he said. 

'It's okay, Dominic. Liam Kincaid, this is Dominic. He makes sure we don't forget to eat and picks up the dirty laundry certain slobs have a habit of tossing around,' she explained. 

'I live to serve, Miss Roarke,' Dominic responded with an amused grin. 

'I'm going to take Liam on a tour, and we should back in an hour or so,' Karen said. 

'Very good, Miss,' Dominic said and headed into the kitchen to begin his chores. 

Karen led Liam outside, and he looked around. The estate they were on was large and seemed well cared for. When....if he returned to his own time or universe he was going to have to check out the island to see if they were still there. 

* * *

**PART 2**

As they walked, Liam noticed a large section of tree had fallen on the pathway. Instead of stopping, Karen continued to walk and wave her right hand, causing the tree to levitate off of the path and settle quietly on the side of the path. Liam stumbled in shock. 

'Are you all right?' she asked. 

'Yes. I guess I should have learned to walk,' he joked weakly still stunned by what he'd seen. 'So what exactly does the Luna Foundation do?' he asked, curious about an organization that had such a woman working for them. 

'A little of this and a little of that. We helped the police or museums, we are philanthropists.' She grinned to herself, not realizing Liam could see her expression. 

Liam looked out over the estate's lawn and saw Nick working out. He was doing marital arts, and he looked very deadly capable of performing any move necessary. _What have I gotten myself into?_ he thought to himself. A woman who levitates large objects and a man who looks like he could teach a thing or two to Bruce Lee. Then there was Derek - he was a mystery unto himself. What kind of work made a man hard like Derek Rayne? He seemed like the type who was capable of doing whatever necessary, even murder if it got him what he wanted. 

'Derek?' asked Alex, puzzled. 

'Huh?' he looked up as Alex entered the control room. 

'What's wrong?' she asked. 

'I've gotten the information from our check on Liam Kincaid,' he answered. 

'So who is he?' 

'Nobody, absolutely nobody.' Derek handed her the printouts. 

'His fingerprints don't match anyone on file?' she replied, puzzled. 

'If our Major Kincaid is in the military his fingers would be on file. Most people today get fingerprinted for one reason or another so his fingerprints should be on file somewhere. No fingerprints matches, and Frank says there isn't a missing person report fitting his description. For all intents Major Liam Kincaid doesn't exist,' said Derek. 

Liam's mind tried to settle the turmoil it was in as they walked for a while before returning to the house. Karen sat Liam down in a chair as Derek entered the library and sat in a chair directly across from 

Liam. He assessed Derek; his eyes were a compelling hazel that appeared to be emotionless and flat, reflecting only what they saw. Further examination, however, revealed them to be deep and fathomless, the eyes of a man who had been forced to see more than was visibly apparent. The expression on his face was no less forbidding, perfectly suited to his angular chiseled features. 

Derek waited for Karen to leave the room before placing his hands on the table in front of him. He laced his fingers together as he looked directly at Kincaid. 'So, when were you going to tell us you can see, Major?' he asked in a tone that sounded as if he were discussing the weather. Derek's eyes briefly sparked, hinting at powerful emotions boiling beneath the surface of this apparently serene man. 

'I just regained my sight,' Liam answered, attempting to truthful but wanting to only go so far. 

'I'm surprised. I was positive your sight returned this morning at breakfast,' Derek replied in a mild tone. Liam felt as if he were a toy being played with by a tiger....a very hungry tiger ready to pounce. 

'Mr. Rayne...,' he began. 

'Derek, please,' he said cordially, as if they were a pair of old friends discussing old memories instead of a man who was causing Liam's stomach to knot tightly. 'Putting aside your vision, how about telling me who you really are?' Derek asked. 

'Major Liam Neville Kincaid.' 

'Funny the only Liam Neville Kincaid I can find is an eighteen-year-old private. The military has no records of your name, prints, description and so on. I ask, again, who are you?' 

Liam swallowed, beginning to feel the prickle of fear along his nerves. 'Liam Sandoval,' he answered quietly. 'My parents are FBI agent Ronald Sandoval and Irish secret service agent Siobhan Beckett. I was born in Washington, D.C., in 2008.' He watched Derek for a reaction and saw none. The man nodded to himself, as if he was used to the unusual. 'Are you getting ready to lock me away?' Liam joked weakly. 

'No,' was all Derek said. He stood and started for the door. 

'Then what are you going to do with me?' 

'I'll let you know,' replied Derek in a mysterious tone. 

* * *

Liam started for the stairs and followed them up to Karen's door. He knocked, and a few minutes later he heard her call to enter. He walked into the room and found her head down in a trunk as her rear swayed to some Cajun music that played from a nearby CD player. 'Love this don't you? Alex loaned it to me.' She straightened. 'Gotcha, you little scamp!' Liam jumped slightly. 'I knew it was in there somewhere,' she grinned as she headed over to him. 'So what's wrong, darling?' she asked Liam. 

'Derek....' He didn't know how to say what he had to say. 

'Derek confronted you with the fact that you can see,' she said matter-of-factly. Liam stood, stunned. 'No, I'm not psychic, but I do know body language, and for a guy recently blinded you adapted a tad too quickly. You were blind for a period, and your sight returned just as Rachel said it would. I should have warned you, though, that there are psychics residing here. Kat is in training, and Alex is gifted but, compared to Derek's gift, it might as well be a whisper in the dark. He's very powerful, hence his cold front. To allow emotions in would overload his psychic talents and all but kill him. I assure you, he's human, just better guarded than most. Logic may have been a gift to Vulcans so they could evolve from being barbarians, but for Derek it's a literal life saving device.' She looked straight at him. It unnerved him because it was almost as if she could see straight to his soul. 

'What about you?' 

She tilted her head at him in puzzlement, like a dog trying to understand. Liam made a waving motion and started to say a couple of the words he'd heard her mumble. She quickly placed her hand over his mouth. 

'Don't go performing magic without a license, Bubba.' 

Liam couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. 'Magic?' he asked in a disbelieving tone. 

'Yes, Junior, magic; and this is my book of shadows. I am a sorceress.' She drew her five foot four and a half inch body up, and Liam smiled. She looked like a cross between an angel and a pixie, with the body of a goddess. But a sorceress? He couldn't buy that. 'Non-believers have been known to become believers when they end up spending their lives on lily pads in ponds, Buddy,' she said in mock anger. 'Listen, Derek and the others don't know about the....' She made the waving motion that Liam had just imitated a few minutes ago. 

'So you want me to keep the fact that you're a sorceress a secret?' he asked. 

'And I won't tell about your unique birth.' Karen winked at him. He could almost feel that she knew more than she was saying. 

'Years ago Mars was a livable planet, but soon it began to die. A colony ship was sent to the nearest inhabitable world. That was Earth. They landed here and started their colony, Atlantis.' Liam sat up straighter at the name. 'Soon, though, we could see the natives were a tad aggressive and retreated behind a veil where we could watch until Earth was ready and not be targets for every pirate or so called conqueror that came along. We did, however, send out groups of people to live amongst the natives, and some even interbred. There was also another race here, besides the savages, called the Eternals. They are what we call elves today; tall, willowy creatures with pale appearances, who tapped into the other realms. On one of the missions to set up a post a princess of Atlantis met a prince of the Elders, and they fell in love. Tarok refused to give up Sirah and, before they could be stopped, he married her according to the custom of the Elders. Considered binding, the Elders refused to interfere, and the Atlanteans didn't want strife, so they allowed it. 

Tarok's and Sirah's son was born quite gifted, and the Ancient One took him to raise. Ever since she has guided his line to make decisions in breeding that'll strengthen the line. I'm descended from men like King Arthur and Robin of Locksley, John Reed and Don Diego de la Vega. Any man or woman who showed courage, intelligence and a passion for helping others, despite the fact that they may die, has been bred in someway into my bloodline and come with me. Frightening isn't it?' she quipped. 'We, meaning me or a descendant, are supposed to stand at the forefront to defend humanity against the darkness. No one knows when it'll come or if my blood will be up to it; but until then, the show must go on.' 

Liam thought he heard a touch of bitterness in her voice. Karen saw Liam's look. 'I'd appreciate choosing my own life, but when I look at it I'd probably be doing what I am, which is what the Ancient One wanted. So it doesn't matter either way. I would just like to pretend that it wasn't all planned out, and I had some say in it. I do have free will and can decide to refuse if called upon; but I don't think my conscience and my heart would allow people to suffer when I can do something.' 

'Marion Zimmer Bradley called my kind grey angels. We stand on the front lines between light and dark. One foot in darkness and one foot in light, hence grey angels. We're despised by the darkness for the light in us and by the light for the darkness. But the light has been known to request our help despite it. The darkness never asks. They just take.' She shivered, and rubbed an arm to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. 'I've faced things in my life, Liam, that were terrifying because of the darkness inside. But I had to do it, so I did. My dad says that's the definition of courage.' 

Liam took her hand in his and rubbed it gently, surprised at the icy feel of it. 'So you defend us? Against what?' he asked solemnly. 

'Everything. Yourselves. The other realms. You name it. Liam, this house is the Luna Foundation, but it also headquarters the Legacy. The Legacy has been around since the second century to protect mankind from what lives in the shadows and darkness. You've heard old wives tales about werewolves, vampires and demons? They're old wives tales due to the work the Legacy has done. Father to son, mother to daughter, and occasionally fresh blood passing the burden down to the next generation - the burden of defending against evil. In the four years I've been here, I have fought vampires three times, a werewolf once, and demons to numerous to count as well as ghosts, succubus and anything else you can find in a paranormal dictionary. The Legacy is a secret only known to those who are members of it and the rare friends they confide in along the way. Not even the people we helped truly know what we are.' 

Liam could almost imagine he felt the weight of her burden on his own soul, and he knew he didn't have the strength to carry it himself. 

* * *

Derek entered and looked around the table. Karen was noticeably missing, but he could run it by her later. Derek swatted Nick gently on the head because he was sitting on the table, and Nick jumped down and took a seat, throwing a lazy arm around Alex in the chair next to him. Alex gave him a disapproving look. 

'We're going to have to get around to housebreaking you one of these days,' she teased. 

'Really?!' Nick said playfully, and gave her a quick kiss, which ended when she pushed him away and swatted him playfully. 

Kristen shook her head and threw a wadded up piece of paper at Nick's head. 'Hey, Ape Boy, biology class is later.' 

'She's only mad because I'm not interested in her biology,' Nick teased and stuck his tongue out at her. 

'Play nicely, children, or you go to your room without supper,' Rachel joked. 

'Nick play nicely? Where have you been Rachel?' quipped Phillip. 

'Hey?!' Nick threw the wadded up paper Kristen had tossed at him at Phillip, and Derek gracefully intercepted it. 

'Major Liam Kincaid,' he said as he handed out the copy of the report he'd received on his search for Liam. 'He claims to have been born in 2008.' 

'Not another damn time traveler,' griped Nick, referring to Captain Darien Lambert and his partner, Mace Warfield, who they'd encountered in a previous adventure. 

* * *

'So what do we do with tall and gorgeous?' asked Alex. 

'Caddy seems to believe he's one of the good guys, but I'm reserving judgment,' replied Derek. 

'Caddy has a ten for ten record, and if she says he's a good guy there is a better than average chance that he is,' said Phillip. 

'I know. But I'd still like to hedge my bets. If we observe Major Kincaid, perhaps we'll find the clue we need to explain why a man supposedly born in 2008 is here now.' Derek discussed the rest of the current Legacy business before dismissing the others. 

'Strife with the little woman?' a British accented voice asked. Derek stiffened and turned to face a man who was about forty with blonde hair and blue eyes. 

'Reed Horton. I thought the last time I sent you to hell your boss would make sure I didn't see you for a while,' Derek said in an emotionless voice. 

'We can't always get what we want, Derek old pal. Twenty years ago I didn't exactly want you to murder me but....' he trailed off with a malicious grin at Derek. 

'I wouldn't exactly call returning fire murder. If you wanted it to be murder you shouldn't have shot first, Horton,' Karen sarcastically said as she entered the room. 

'What round is this, Derek?' she asked, 'I'd tell him to get a life but that would be cruel.' She smiled at Horton in a way that said she didn't think very highly of him or his repeat visits. 

'Ah, the lady who refuses to believe dear Derek is a homicidal maniac and a threat to the Legacy,' said Horton. 

'If you want Derek to be exposed as a raving lunatic, it helps if you don't mess with his mind first. A man can't really be held responsible for what he did while brainwashed, now can he? Besides he didn't kill Alex like you ordered, so that sort of puts a crimp in your theory,' she replied. 

'Derek, can't you defend yourself?' Horton asked. 

'Why, when she's doing such an excellent job of it?' Derek asked playfully. Horton faded from sight. 

'You know gruesome boy will be back,' Karen stated. 

'Isn't he always?' Derek asked. 'There is, however, something a tad more important to deal with right now,' he responded. 

'I know. Liam. But I still believe....' She didn't get a chance to continue as Derek lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. 

'I missed you last night,' he murmured seductively in her ear. 

'You're terrible,' she chided and swatted him lightly. 

'Liam can wait, at least for the time being. But, I have to admit I'm getting jealous of the time you're spending with him,' Derek teased. 

'When I start sharing bubble baths with Liam, then you have the right to get jealous,' she responded and, then a wide grin spread across her face. 'I'm just remembering a regal Derek Rayne, terror of the Dark side and a few Legacy underlings who shall remain nameless, looking absolutely adorable up to his neck in bubbles,' she giggled. 

'I didn't have much choice when you grabbed my shirt and pulled me in,' he responded in mock outrage. 

'Well, you did say you needed a bath after the trek in the desert with Nick, and I thought why not conserve water,' she teased him as she turned towards the table. Derek swatted her behind, and she turned with a cross expression to face him. But, she couldn't stay angry for long. There was just something about the man. She had fought it for as long as she could, believing that it was for the best, but finally gave into his strong arms and the passionate ways that he kept well hidden. 

Liam looked up at the table that held an array of photos and wondered where he could start his search for answers. He didn't know that much about temporal or dimensional travel or even a way of finding out how to find out, which was the cause of his current situation. He rose and looked out the window, wondering if he'd ever return to Lily or Augur and the others. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see what appeared to be a vortex appearing out of mid-air. Out of the vortex stepped a young woman of undetermined age with long black hair and warm brown eyes. 

'Oops!' she said in surprise upon seeing Liam. 

Liam stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed. 'I'm so sorry, let me help you,' said Daria, as she leaned over him. She tripped over his leg and fell headlong onto his outstretched body. The door opened and Karen walked in. 

'Daria, when I said you could help yourself to anything of mine, I didn't mean him,' she teased. 

'Really!' Daria said huffily as she stood and stepped back from Liam who was struggling to sit up, but Karen could see the gleam of humor in Daria's eyes. 

'Daria, this is Liam Kincaid. Liam, Daria Du Beauchamps, a....friend.' 

Daria raised an eyebrow at how she'd said friend, but didn't say anything about it. 'She and Mara usually pop in to borrow things now and again, but I assumed they check before they arrive,' Karen chided. 

'Oh please, this one leads the life of a vestigial virgin, so if she's not here nobody is,' Daria taunted playfully. 

'Popping in as literally....' Liam was unable to continue. 

'Daria!' Karen scolded. 

'How was I supposed to know that when I vortexed in to borrow a book tall, dark and....delicious would be here?' Daria said, licking her lips as she checked Liam over with a decidedly lecherous look. 

'Down girl. Don't make me get out the whip and the chair,' replied Karen. 

'Shamar Sistal! You shame me! Only a whip and a chair?' she winked sensuously at Liam. Karen giggled at his expression but suddenly grabbed Daria and hurriedly steered her into the bathroom before putting her fingers to her lips and turning towards the door and opening it. Derek stood in front of the door. 

'I wish you'd stop that,' he complained. 

Karen laughed. 'What do you want Derek?' she asked. 

'Liam. Actually, Alex wants him downstairs,' he replied. 

'I'd be happy to help Miss Moreau in any way I can,' Liam responded, as he left quickly. 

'What did you do to him?' asked Derek as he came in and closed the door behind him. 

'Oh, the usual - torture, terror, etc., etc.,' she tossed playfully over her shoulder. 

'Really?' Derek said as he wrapped his arms around her and began to trace a path from her forehead down her face and neck with his lips. She raised a hand and cupped his cheek as she leaned back into him. 

'I think we have better things to do, Mr. Rayne,' she murmured. 

'Not really,' he answered as he turned her to face him and began to unbutton her shirt. 

'Derek!' she squeaked and glanced quickly over at the bathroom door. A brief flash of light told her that Daria had vortexed out and they were alone. 

'What?' he asked in a teasing tone as he gently pushed her and she fell onto the bed. 

'I just need to have a discussion with my partner, and we might as well get a work out in while we discuss our business,' he murmured in her ear as he began to kiss her again. 

* * *

Liam walked into the living room where Alex sat with Nick. 

'Will you stop goofing off and hold the paper?' she complained, and Nick made goofy faces at the back of her head. Alex looked up, 'Hi Liam. Don't mind Nick, he's still searching for the right brain for his transplant. And don't think I don't know about the faces, Nicholas Martin.' Alex shoved her elbow back into Nick's stomach. 

Liam chuckled, unable to help himself, these people weren't family and, yet, somehow they had the family most people dreamt of. 'Allow me.' Liam placed a hand on the wrapping paper and held it while Alex finished taping. 

'Are you watching so you might learn, Nicholas Martin Boyle?' Alex asked teasingly. 

'Yes, teacher.' Nick winked at Liam. The man seemed totally unaffected by anything. 

'We are just finishing up Christmas gifts. I wonder what Derek got Karen?' said Alex. 

'I bet he's already given her her Christmas gift many times over,' said Nick, lecherously. 

'I should hope he'll be giving her more than your sewer mind can imagine,' she teased. 

'I didn't hear you complaining about my sewer mind last night,' replied Nick. 

'Give a girl a chance to breath, and you'll hear complaints.' He threw a pillow at her. 

'Liam, do you have any family to spend Christmas with?' asked Rachel as she entered the room seemingly oblivious to Alex and Nick. 

'My mom's dead, and my dad....we don't get along. My foster parents are gone, but I do have a few friends,' he responded. 

'Well then, you'll just have to have Christmas with us,' said Rachel. 

'Yeah, Bud, we'll be your family this Christmas,' Nick threw in. 

'What he needs is a way home,' said Kristen. 

'Oh gee, why didn't I think of that? Now let me see, where did I put my handy, dandy collapsible time portal?' Nick began what seemed like a search of his pockets, murmuring, 'nope not there' every few minutes. He then pulled out a shirt pocket. 'Hello in there. Anybody see....' a pillow hit him in the face. 

'Too many preservatives,' said Kristen shaking her head sadly as she tried not to fall down laughing. 

'All the better to preserve my wonderful self for future generations,' said Nick, playfully. 'Come on, Kat, I hear the chocolate ice cream calling my name.' Nick crouched in front of the twelve-year-old, and she climbed onto his back. Liam had a feeling it was a regular practice between them. 'If anyone wants us, we'll be storming the kitchen and raiding the fridge. We'll bring back a favor for my lady fair.' Nick kissed Alex's cheek, and as they left Nick and Kat made airplane noises. 

* * *

'Excuse me,' Karen said hurriedly and headed up to her room. She closed the door just as Daria and Mara vortexed in. Where Daria had black hair and brown eyes, Mara had silver blonde hair and blue eyes. 

'Hey, Mara, look it's the ex-vestigial virgin,' teased Daria. 

'Oh hush!' Karen chided. 

'Well you definitely picked from the top litter, is all I can say.' Mara giggled at Daria's teasing and Karen's blushing. 

'Are you going on the road as a comedy team or did you come here for a reason?' she asked. 

'Yep, to drool over your boyfriend....oh yeah, and to also tell you the Ancient One summons you,' answered Daria. 

'Oh great, a house-full of people and she has to ring the bell,' Karen groused. 'Well, the sooner we get it over with the better.' Karen waved a hand over her clothes and they transformed into a long white gown. She joined Mara and Daria, and they vortexed to the other side of the veil. 

'Ah, Atlantis!' Mara sighed, almost as if she were greeting an old lover. 

'Mara, there is more to life than hiding in Atlantis,' Daria chided. 

'I'm not hiding! I just don't like that dirty little world,' Mara replied, indignant. 

'How would you know? You barely ever go there. You know nothing about it,' retorted Daria. 

'Just because I don't lower myself to the baser passions like you do, Daria...' Mara began. 

'Children, I'll put you to bed without supper if you don't get along,' Karen said teasingly, but her voice also carried an edge. 

As they arrived at the great hall the three entered. Recognized by the guards, they weren't stopped and questioned. 

'Ah, my child,' said an auburn haired woman who looked no older than Karen. 

'You rang, boss?' Karen said playfully. 

'Those humans do so have a wonderful effect on you, my child. Perhaps I should send Mara out to walkabout.' Daria and Karen tried to hide their smiles at the look of shock on Mara's face. 'It's always good to broaden one's horizons, my child. Find something to do with yourself while I discuss our visitor with Karen.' Daria and Mara bowed and quickly left the chamber. 'Liam Kincaid is an interesting human, my sweet little one.' The Ancient One returned to fiddling with the jars she had been looking at when they arrived. 

'What is Liam Kincaid, exactly?' she asked. 

'A Kimerian-Human hybrid. Kimerians are a proto-species or, as you would call them, a shapesifter. Ha'gel was the last of their kind, and after landing on earth he gave into the impulse to breed. Taking the form of a human named Ronald Sandoval allowed him to breed with a human female known as Siobhan Beckett. Ha'gel's DNA, however, wasn't the only DNA that was involved in the breeding,' the Ancient One said. 

'Sandoval.' 

'Yes. Liam has three distinctive DNA strands, two human and one Kimerian - a most intriguing mixture.' 

Karen suddenly felt as if she were going to regret coming. 'And this concerns me how?' she asked. 

'Oh, not you, my dear, but Ayla,' the Ancient One answered. 

'Ayla is four years old,' Karen said with an edge. 

'She won't be four forever, my child,' answered the Ancient One. 'Liam's from 2008, and Ayla will be only twelve by then,' she responded. 

'Correction. Liam was born in 2008. He's from 2010.' Karen tensed. 'So my daughter will only be fourteen, and if you intend on breeding her, old one, I'd make sure I'm dead,' she threatened. 

'Now, little one, it will be totally Ayla's choice when she comes of age,' the Ancient One replied soothingly. 

'Of course. But you'll make sure she knows her duty, right?' Karen answered with a sarcastic tone. 

'Has Derek Rayne been all that horrible, my child?' the Ancient One asked. 

'No, I would have fallen in love with him even if he hadn't been pushed on me. He's warm and loving, but he's also driven and obsessive at times,' Karen replied. 

'Liam is a possibility for all humans, but many centuries away. Ayla is, as were you,' the Ancient One replied. 

'If it's to be Ayla's choice, then why am I here?' Karen asked. 

'You need to return Liam Sandoval to his proper place in time.' 

'Sandoval? His name is Kincaid.' 

'Ronald Sandoval is his father, along with Ha'gel, and Siobhan Beckett is his mother. Kincaid belongs to another man, but it's fitting until it is safe for Sandoval to know of his son. As for the son, he has much to do in 2010 and must be returned before the vacuum created by his removal from his proper time destroys all that was, is and will be. Time is a delicate thing that shouldn't be played with.' 

'Then why is Liam here?' Karen asked. 

'Someone thinks they can play with nature and garner no consequences. They are wrong,' the Ancient One said ominously. 

* * *

**PART 3**

Liam looked out at the garden that surrounded the estate and allowed it to calm his fears. It wouldn't be so bad to live in the past. He knew what could happen, and he could help make the future a better place. Liam was hit by a spasm of extreme pain and bent over, clutching his stomach. He felt as if something was pulling at him and, yet, something kept him from going to it. The spasm passed, and he straightened. 

'Hurts doesn't it?' asked a British accented voice. Liam turned to see a blonde man in his forties standing behind him. 

'Are you a friend of Derek's?' he asked. 

The man seemed surprised and then laughed bitterly, 'Oh yes, Derek and I've know each other for a long time. He murdered me twenty years ago,' he replied matter-of-factly. Liam stood stunned unable to speak at what the man had just said. 'Speechless, huh?' the man walked forward and passed right through the table as if it wasn't there. 'Reed Horton's the name.' He held out his hand, and Liam shook it, finding it surprisingly lifelike for a ghost, even if a bit cold. 

'He murdered you?' asked Liam, confused. 

'Yes. Derek gets what he wants by any means possible, even if it means removing a person by ending their lives. I wouldn't trust him if I were you,' Horton offered. 

'Why should I trust you?' Liam asked as his brain finally returned from the deep freeze of shock. 

'You shouldn't. But I'm not the one with your future in my hands, am I?' Horton asked. 

'Shoo!' Karen hissed at Horton as if he were an annoying house pet. 

'Ah, the lady of the manor arrives. I do so love a woman who enjoys dangerous men,' he replied snidely. 

'You're off on that Derek kick again.' She blew a breath to get the hair out of her eyes. 'You know that might of had more sway if you hadn't programmed him to kill before putting forth your theory; not to mention that since Derek failed to obey orders it is sorta pointless to continue on this track. Now go away, little man, or you'll find out what I do to refugees from bad horror flicks.' Horton smiled and did an elaborate bow before fading from sight. 

'If you believe a word he said, you're a Grade A idiot. But, it's up to you to believe what you will.' 

Liam swallowed. 'It seems he said the same thing.' 

Karen shook her head. 'Horton? He was brought in by Derek, and when some murders started occurring to members of the organization Derek had suspicions. He felt that since he brought Horton in it was up to him to deal with Horton if he'd gone bad. Twenty years ago Derek set up a plan by leaking a memo, supposedly from Jane, the head of the Boston office, to the head of the San Francisco office. It said she knew the killer's identity and had evidence to back it up. The boss here and Jane both agreed, and Derek flew to Boston under an assumed name so no one would know he'd left the city. He waited outside the Boston office, and Horton stepped out, intent on killing Jane. Derek called to him, and Horton fired at Derek. Derek returned fire,' She explained. 

'What happened?' asked Liam. 

'Horton's shot hit the gate next to Derek, and Derek's shot hit Horton in the chest. The police called him in for questioning and then released him after clearing him of any possible charges. Horton pops up every now and then to cause grief. The boy has a one track mind and his choo-choo is derailed.' Liam laughed but then suddenly grasped his stomach in agony. 'Liam?!' asked a concerned Karen. He saw her hand begin to glow with a white golden light edged in blue. She caressed his cheek, and the pain eased almost immediately. 

'What did you do?' he asked. 

'Momentarily stop the sympathetic temporal spasms. It is only for a little while, though, how long is your guess. Why didn't you tell me about these spasms when you began having them?!' She chided him like a mother fussing over her sick child. 

'Nick did say you made Jewish mothers look neglectful. Now I can see why they call you little mother.' 

'And here, all along, I thought they were swearing at me.' Liam looked up, and she winked as he saw the amusement in her eyes. 'We're going to have to find a way to get you home as soon as possible before you rip yourself apart. The problem is finding the right spell. I'd ask Amos, but his machine only goes into the past. He wanted to study, not change history, and sending you further back will just increase the temporal spasms. I'll look in my book of shadows. Maybe I can come up with something. In the meantime, take it easy because if you explode I'm definitely not cleaning it up. It's not in my contract or job description,' she teased before kissing his cheek and leaving the room. 

* * *

A few hours later Karen came and got Liam and brought him to her room. They sat facing each other on the floor. He watched as she seemed to concentrate. Karen focused her energies as she sat very still with her palms cupped. She willed the magic that formed her circle to shrink and concentrate itself until a swirling ball of light and energy appeared in her hand. As she stared down at it, she heard a gasp and glanced up to see Derek and Nick. Derek stared at her, but Nick was staring wide eyed at her palms. 

'Hold out your hands,' she ordered Liam quietly. Gently she transferred the energy into his hands, and he took it as he stared at it in wonder. Derek and Nick started toward them, and suddenly Liam stood, forgetting about the energy. A flash of light blinded him. When he could see again he, Karen, Derek and Nick were no longer in her bedroom. He recognized the room as his living room in Washington, 2010. She'd succeeded! He was home, except her spell had brought along two stowaways. 

Derek, a lethal look on his face, strode over and took Karen by the arm. Concerned for her safety Liam stepped forward only to be stopped by Nick, who'd stepped in between Derek and Liam to block Liam from aiding Karen. 

'They'll handle it.' 

Liam tried to go around him, but Nick blocked him. Liam had the feeling that, despite Nick not being tall or excessively muscular, he'd still have no problem kicking Liam's backside. Liam had seen the wiry and fast Nick in his practice sessions and knew anyone trying to avoid following Boyle's orders should first make sure their life insurance was paid up. He strode over to the window and looked out, but turned back to see Nick had followed. 

'Don't worry, he won't kill her,' Nick said, reassuringly, but Liam was still concerned. 

'Do you want to explain this?' Derek asked in deadly tone of voice. 

'Temporal travel?' she joked and tried a weak smile, but he wasn't going for it. 'Listen, Derek, it's a long story....' she began. 

'I'm not going anywhere.' 

She hated him when he was like this. Derek's face and voice were emotionless and his body language was close to nonexistent, which meant he was unreadable. She explained who she was and how the Ancient One had sent her to protect the team during a dark time. She told him how she had fallen in love with the team and had felt truly accepted for the first time in her life. She chose to stay when her assignment was over, but she hadn't wanted to tell him about her abilities because of the turmoil it would cause. 

'You kept secrets from the team,' Derek accused her. 

'And you haven't?' she responded snidely, knowing there were times Derek felt it was best not to tell the team certain things. In fact, he and Nick had had an argument about it recently. 'Derek, I took an oath not to expose myself, or others like me, working for the Ancient One. To tell you would have resulted in me breaking my oath. If I could break my oath to the Ancient One, then what's to stop me from breaking the oath I took to the Legacy to keep the Legacy and it's work secret, or any other oath for that matter?' she asked. Derek turned his back to her, and she felt her heart sink to her feet as her stomach knotted tightly at the idea that Derek might see her as an enemy. 

Karen turned and quickly left the room, unable to wait for Derek to lower the boom. Derek started after her, but Nick put a hand out, stopping him. 'I'll handle it, Boss. She's not exactly your biggest fan right now.' Nick left and tried to catch up to her. 

'Let go of me, you Satan's spawn!' screamed a woman. He'd know that mouth anywhere. 

'Ouch! Damn it! She bit me! Catch her, she's getting away!' came a man's voice. 

'I'll do more than bite you if you come near me again, Rat Boy!' answered Karen threateningly. As Nick came around the corner one of the men held her arms pinned to her sides as she kicked a second man. 

'Let her go,' Nick ordered in a threatening tone. 

'It's about time, Nicky boy,' she complained. 

Nick swore there were times when she didn't have the sense to be afraid and this was one of those times. Her face had that stubborn look. She jerked her arm away from the man who held her and turned on him, grabbing handfuls of his hair before yanking hard. 

'You better let her go, boys,' Nick said as he grinned. At the moment he didn't know who had whom. 

Karen let go and, with a sharp tug, straightened her clothing. She stuck her chin out defiantly. 'It certainly took you long enough, Sir Galahad,' she complained. 

'Remind me to teach you later what long is,' he answered sarcastically. Before they could say or do anything further a sharp object poked them in the back. 

'Don't move, either of you, unless you want to die,' came a gruff voice from behind them. 

She and Nick found their hands quickly bound and were forced to walk at knifepoint. When they arrived at an empty warehouse they were pushed through the door. A fourth man rose from the table. He leered lecherously at Karen. 

'A bit of slap and tickle, hey, boys?' he laughed maliciously. 

As he walked towards her she swung a foot at him. 'Stay away from me, you beady eyed rat!' she warned. 

'I like them with fight,' he replied. 

She spat and kicked his leg hard. He raised his fist, but Nick stepped in between them. 

'Don't,' he said in a deadly calm tone. He motioned to the guys behind them, and they were dragged over to a wall and pushed down. Nick shifted around behind her. 'I've got a knife in a sheath under my jacket,' he whispered to her. 'Move your hands back and find the handle,' he explained to her. Karen moved back a bit and reached towards Nick. 'That's not it,' Nick said, his voice sounding strained. 

'Of course, the knife is bigger,' she quipped. 

'Actually, the knife's handle is smaller....much smaller.' He faked a cough to cover the impact of her elbow into his stomach and the resulting grunt. 

He sliced through his bonds and grabbed a guard. He saw a flash of dark hair speed by. She managed to string her hands around another man's neck. She jerked her hand's up and choked him. Nick watched her struggle with him and almost felt sorry for the man. She was kicking and biting and jerking her bound hands about the man's neck while he staggered around, coughing and choking. His friend came to help him, and Nick saw her kick a leg out behind her, like a mule. But how she knew he was there was anyone's guess. Nick ducked a punch by another of the men, and saw Karen go down in a tangled heap under the guy who was turning purple from the lack of air. Nick made short work of the guy he was fighting and ran towards her as another of the men started towards Karen. He karate chopped the man, who fell on top of Karen and the other man. All four men were out cold, and Nick stood there grinning down at her. 

'Hyena boy, how about a hand?' she quipped. 

'Why didn't you use your magic?' he asked. 

'Oh, excuse me, but the wand is at the repair shop, so excuse the magic being on the fritz,' she responded sarcastically. 

'I'm sorry,' answered Nick. 

'Look, Nick, it isn't you. It's me. I had to learn to be a sorceress, or I'd be a threat to others and myself. But I prefer a hands on approach to a magical one. I don't use my gifts unless I have no other choice.' 

'Why do I get the feeling that has a personal note to it?' said Nick. 

'Remember when we were at that warehouse and those boxes fell on you?' she asked. Nick nodded. 'It was my fault. I had killed someone by using my magic, and everyone told me it was accidental and not to blame myself. But, that's what I'm good at. Derek and I are alike in that trait. I swore never to use my powers again, but when that man who threatened Alex was getting away I responded automatically. I spelled the boxes to block his path, only he was faster than I thought and the boxes landed on you instead. I felt guilty for that,' she said quietly. 

Nick wrapped his arms around her. 'It's okay.' He kissed the top of her head. 

'Nick, it made me realize that I had to use my gifts, but on my terms not on theirs. I healed you and would have healed you completely, but....' she trailed off. 

'This Ancient One wouldn't let you? I guess I should be glad that she let you heal me as much as she did,' he answered. 

'Nick, she believes in free will, but she also believes that a little pain can teach a person a lot. I guess she didn't want you to forget that you're only mortal.' She grinned mischievously up at him. 

'You're a hard one,' said a musical voice. 

Liam and Derek turned to see an auburn haired woman with two younger women. The woman on the left was black haired and brown-eyed Daria. On the opposite side was the blonde blue eyed Mara. 

'The Ancient One, I presume?' Derek said. 

'Mortal, show your betters some manners and speak when spoken to,' chided Mara. 

'Shh, child, he was spoken to.' The Ancient One waved Mara back and walked towards Derek. She seemed to float across the floor until she came to a stop in front of him. 'Derek Rayne, the anointed one, you are a very special man and that should enable you to understand Karen. You know you didn't ask for your gifts or your destiny, Precept, but you accept them the best you can.' Derek flinched at the word 'Precept,' and the Ancient One just smiled. 'Karen has come from a long line of individuals dedicated to protecting mortals, and she has never done anything dishonorable. She has always, despite the pain and personal loss, done battle against evil and defended the good's causes. So, tell me what's the difference between her magical gifts and your ESP?' Her gaze was unnerving, and Derek felt as if he were back at boarding school in front of the principal. 

'I fight witches and warlocks,' he responded. 

'Tsk, tsk, you're so one dimensional, Rayne. I expected better. There are white witches as well as black witches, and you know that. Would you fight a Wiccan just because they declare themselves a witch? I don't think so, since they practice the first rule - first do no harm,' she replied. 

'She's not a Wiccan,' answered Derek. 

'No, she's not. But the sentiment's the same, and, being the woman you love, it's more a sense of her not sharing an important secret rather than her actually being a sorceress, isn't it, Rayne?' she chided him. 

'Secrets like this should be told to loved ones. The fact that it wasn't makes me wonder,' he responded, ignoring what she'd said about him being in love with Karen. 

'You haven't told her things you should have, Derek Rayne. Besides, when did being in love mean telling your loved one every little detail? A girl has to have some mystery left with which to fascinate her lover,' she told him teasingly. Derek shifted, and his look told her he was girding himself to do battle with her. 'Never mind that Karen has dealt with abandonment all her life and feared, despite your protestations to the opposite, that you'd never abandon her for any reason. Has Nick Boyle been able to shed all of what his father did to him as a child?' she asked with a hard edge to her voice. 

Derek remembered when his friend had been accused of child abuse. Nick had literally freaked out about it. It was then that Derek learned John Boyle had physically, emotionally and mentally abused his sons, James and Nick. He had worked with John and had never seen the man who beat his wife and played the mind games with his two young sons that had left such a deep scar on Nick. Nick had repeatedly proven himself a good friend, faithful associate and someone he could always trust to back him up, but Derek hadn't learned about the abuse until 1996. Nick had been working with him for four years by then. 

'Nick knew you off and on most of his life and then worked side by side with you for four years, Rayne, before a ghost of a memory forced him to give up his secret to you. She has asked me to allow her to tell you all, but I have refused her. I wanted to be sure you were worthy and you were ready to handle what it meant,' the Ancient One told him. 

* * *

**`**

'Want to go somewhere and talk?' Nick asked. 

'Sure. But what about these guys?' she asked, motioning to the unconscious men she and Nick had just taken out. 

'Let them get their own girl,' he responded mischievously. 

Karen groaned and clutched her stomach as a look of pain crossed her face. Nick came towards her. 

'No! Nick! Don't!' she exclaimed in a frightened voice. 

Nick touched her arm and her skin felt as if it were aflame. He was thrust backwards by an unseen force and slammed into a wall. He slid, dazed, down to the ground. She groaned and sank to the ground in agony as Derek and Liam arrived, alerted by the noise. Liam checked on Nick as Derek headed towards Karen. 

'NO! I don't have any control over it!' Karen panicked and tried to scramble back away from him to protect him. A white, gold, blue light enveloped her and grew brighter until it forced the three men to look away. When the light faded they looked back and saw Karen, but instead of her usual T-shirt, jeans and sneakers she wore a white dress slit up the front of the skirt to expose knee high black boots and a black hooded cape. Her hair streamed behind her despite the fact that there wasn't any breeze and her eyes....her eyes took Derek's breath away and almost caused his heart to stop. They were pure silver, no pupils, just silver from end to end. 

'Karen?' he asked. 

'Come no further mortal,' she said in a strange voice that seemed to vibrate. 

'Karen?' he said again as he tried to understand what was happening. 

'She exists no more. I am Ayla Pendragon, daughter of the dragon, descent of Arthur and champion to the Ancient One,' she responded. 

'There has to be something of her left.' Derek almost seemed to be pleading. He looked so vulnerable, and vulnerable wasn't a word you associate with Derek Rayne. A puzzled frown crossed her face and Derek drew hope from it. She stepped forward and stroked Derek's cheek leaving a trail of fire behind. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply. Derek reached up, but before he could touch her she stepped back. 

'She exists no more,' she said in a frightening tone of voice. She enveloped herself in a light and vanished from sight. 

Derek screamed a sound that Liam couldn't call human and sank to his knees with a look of agony. Nick pushed off Liam's helping arm and stumbled towards Derek. Derek rose and caught his swaying friend. His eyes met Liam's. Liam didn't want to be the guy who messed with Derek next. The look in his eyes, alone, spoke of things hell, itself, couldn't handle. 

'Let's get him to the hospital,' Derek said in a completely emotionless voice. Liam nodded and shivered in fear, hoping that Derek didn't see him as a threat. 

They waited while the doctor's checked Nick, who protested the whole time he was fine until Derek quietly told him to behave. Liam could see that his tone of voice had scared the doctor and all in hearing range badly. 

Sandoval entered the waiting room, 'Major, I need to speak with you.' Liam stood to take Sandoval elsewhere, but before he could Derek intervened. 

'He's aiding me so, you'll have to find someone else,' he said quietly. 

'Who are you?' asked Sandoval. Derek raised his head until his eyes met Sandoval's, and Sandoval took a quick step backwards in fear. 

'I am none of your business, but until further notice the Major is on extended leave,' he answered. 

'You don't have the authority....' Sandoval began. 

'I have what I need and what I don't I get,' Derek grounded out at Sandoval. 

'Agent Sandoval, do you want me to arrest him?' asked a young and, in Liam's opinion, a very stupid volunteer. 

Derek's hand was a blur as it struck him in the face palm up and then took his weapon away from him. 'Are you stupid, young man, or do you have some sort of brain damage?' Derek asked in a deadly tone. Liam could have sworn the volunteer needed a new pair of underwear. He tossed the weapon at Sandoval who caught it while trying to hide his shock. 'Never underestimate an opponent, because you may be wrong.' 

'Derek,' said Liam gently. 

'Kincaid, this July I'll be fifty-one years old, and I still have yet to understand the human need to do stupid things.' Liam suppressed a chuckle, 'Sandoval is it? You should train your tots better,' Derek said. 

The volunteer angrily started forward, only to stop at a crushing grip on his arm. 'You touch him, and I kill you,' snarled Nick Boyle. 

'Mr. Boyle, I need you to stay overnight for observation,' complained the doctor. 

'Observe this, you....' Nick began, and Derek placed a hand over Nick's mouth. 

'We'll keep a close eye on him, doctor.' The doctor sighed and turned away to stride down the corridor, obviously fed up with Nick. 

'Didn't I tell you never insult doctors because they can get even by sticking needles in rude places?' Derek quipped. 

'Boss, the guy's worse than....' Nick stopped at the look on Derek's face. 

'We need to get on Roarke's trail.' Derek started out of the room followed by Nick. Rayne stopped and turned, giving Liam an assessing glance. 'Major?' he asked, raising an eyebrow, and Liam fell in step behind Derek as they left the room. 

Nick watched as Derek alternated between looking at a photo and looking out across Washington, D.C., 2010. He knew the photo was of Karen and, even though he had that moment in the alley, he would never again show his soul. Every time he tried to put his heart out there to be loved someone or something squashed it. Alicia - he loved her. She was engaged to his best friend and then torn apart by demons. Laura, sent by the dark side to kill him, fell in love with him instead. She ran when she found out she was pregnant to protect the child, only to be murdered and buried along with her child. 

Jessica turned out to be possessed by the demon, Lamia, and Angelique was insane, whether that was from turning to the dark side or before she turned they'd never know. Nick wanted his friend to find a love that could see him through the remainder of his life. Nick thought Derek had found that in Karen, despite both of their concerns about where it would go, whether would it last and what they would do if it didn't. They had both been hurt by love and romance and were wary about getting involved. This revelation had thrown Nick, but he wondered if he would have accepted her if he'd known the truth from the beginning. 

He'd gotten to know her, the real her, over the five years she'd been a team member. They had gone to the Washington house and introduced themselves to the Precept and his team. They explained what had happened, leaving out the fact that Karen was the sorceress who had brought them to the future. The precept said he'd do what he could to find a way to get Derek and Nick and, hopefully, Karen, if they could find her back to 2001. Nick wondered if Derek would leave if they didn't have Karen with them. 

'How's he doing?' Liam asked as he handed Nick a cup of coffee. 

'The same,' he murmured in response as he accepted the cup. Derek stood and started to head out. Nick set his cup on the table and started after him. 

'No, Nick, you stay here. I just want to take a walk to clear my head. I'll be fine,' he said. Nick doubted his friend would be fine, but he honored his wishes. 

Daria entered the room and saw Karen standing by the window. There were tears on her face, 'You look at paradise and, yet, you cry?' she asked, even though she knew and understood why. 

'I miss....the others,' she replied. 

_Derek,_ Daria's mind supplied. 'You love them so it's only natural to miss them.' 

'They accepted me without a thought. I've, and no offense, but I've never felt as loved and accepted as I did with them. Denying Derek the way I did almost destroyed him, and it has destroyed me.' She put her face in her hands and began to cry in earnest. Daria helplessly patted her comfortingly on the back. 

'Maybe when we're done you can return,' she offered hopefully, which made Karen cry all the harder. 

* * *

'Rachel, Alex, have you seen Derek, Nick or Karen?' asked Kristen. 

'Nope but knowing Junk Food Boy, he's either in the kitchen or the garage with his beloved Mustang,' Alex quipped. 

'I checked throughout the house and the garage. Their cars are still there. They just aren't, and neither is Liam,' Kristen responded. 

'This sounds like trouble,' said a worried Rachel. 

* * *

Nick lay sleeping on Liam's couch. Liam was unable to sleep, so he paced. 'Knock it off,' Liam heard Nick say and turned to see Nick, with one eye opened, frowning at him. 'Pacing wears a hole in the floor and doesn't solve a thing,' he said. 

'How can you sleep? It's two a.m., and Derek hasn't returned yet,' Liam complained worriedly. 

'After his son died Derek didn't come home for a week. I figure he'll be gone a month for this,' Nick replied as he sat up and tossed aside the covers that Liam had pulled over him when he'd first fallen asleep. 'Besides, we need our sleep to find a way to solve our out of time problem. It doesn't do any good to worry.' 

'Derek had a son?' Liam asked. 

'Yes. Lucas. His....mother was Laura. She'd been sent to kill Derek and instead fell in love with him. When she found herself pregnant she feared for the baby's safety and left without telling anyone. Derek met up with a young man claiming to be his son about four or five years ago. He was there to kill Derek and, the truth was, Laura and her son were buried under a tree in a peach orchard somewhere. He found his son, only to find out that his son and the woman he loved were both dead and buried,' explained Nick. 

Liam felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. Derek had been through hell so many times and still managed to continue. It gave Liam hope that, despite the odds, the Resistance could win. They had to solve the mystery of who had sent Liam into the past, if only to return Derek and Nick to their rightful place in time. 

* * *

Caros waved his hand over the mirror in which he'd watched Daria comfort Karen. 'Together they are a force to be reckoned with, but apart they can be destroyed, and I will destroy them.' He smiled maliciously to himself as he envisioned what he would do to Karen Roarke and Derek Rayne, the anointed one, when he was finally able to have his revenge. He'd asked her to kill Rayne to prove she was ready to give up her life as a mortal. Instead, the half-breed wench had almost died protecting the mortal with her own body. She had been willing to risk oblivion for a mortal. Why? He couldn't understand, for all the human in her, her bloodline was the best, and she would have made an excellent queen of the universes and dimensions. Instead, she had turned to that bloody mortal! Caros smashed the glass he was holding and watched as the blood leaked from his closed fist. In a rage he threw the shards across the room. 

Derek entered the Flat Planet Cafe and took a seat at the bar. Augur strolled over to the man and grinned, 'What's your poison stranger?' he quipped. 

'Arsenic?' Derek answered. 

'What's her name?' Augur asked. 

Derek's head came up sharply. 'How did you know it was a woman?' he asked suspiciously. 

'You've gotten it written all over you,' Augur replied. Lily Marquette came in and sat down next to Derek. 'Best way to get over a woman is to meet other woman. Take my sweetheart here. Lily Marquette, this is....' Augur trailed off. 

'Derek Rayne. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Marquette,' Derek said. 

'Augur, for the idiot he is, is right on a rare occasion,' Lily responded. Augur grinned. 'A very rare occasion,' Lily said sarcastically, but Augur saw the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. 

'I love viscous woman,' Augur teased before blowing her a kiss and heading off to tend to another customer. 

'Do you two know each other well?' asked Derek. 

'Hmmm, that's a good question. Augur has seen me through hell, literally, but I don't think anybody knows Augur. Maybe not even Augur.' Lily smiled to herself. 

'I know the type,' Derek responded quietly. 

'I take it you know someone like Augur?' asked Lily. 

Derek gave a sad smile. 'I did.' 

'I'm sorry,' Lily answered quietly. 'Well, anyway, time heals all wounds, right?' 

'I don't think this wound can be healed,' he answered. 

'Augur, how about some service over here?' Lily called to him. 

'Your wish is my command, my goddess,' teased Augur. 

'In that case....Never mind, I don't want to get into trouble for cruelty to....' Lily laughed unable to continue. 

'Beer for the....ahem, lady,' he said, and Augur ducked as Lily took a playful swipe at him. 

'Hey, honey,' said a guy who saddled up to the bar on the other side of Lily. She ignored him in hopes he'd get the point that she wasn't interested, but he was the kind of guy who apparently was too stupid to realize when the woman wasn't interested. He continued, and the more she ignored him the more aggressive he became. 

After a few minutes Derek, not looking up from his drink, cleared his throat. 'The lady isn't interested, friend,' he told the man. 

'Nobody rattled your cage, gramps,' he sneered. 

'You don't have to defend me. I'm perfectly....Hey!' Lily shrieked angrily and slapped the guy's face. He grabbed her wrist wrenching it, but before she could do a Marine thing on his butt Rayne stepped in. 

'Let go of her,' he said as he rose from his chair, with grace in a way that was deceptive about how truly agile he was. 

'Listen, gramps....' the guy began. In a blur Lily found herself free. Derek had wrenched the man's arm behind his back and kicked his legs out from under him. 

'She's not interested,' he said quietly. He released the man and allowed him to stand. The guy looked as if he were about to continue when his eyes met Derek's. 'Please try something,' he said in an emotionless voice as a malicious grin spread across his face. Lily got the feeling he was looking to kill someone, anyone, and it didn't matter who. The guy got some brains and turned quickly to stride away. 

'Miss Marquette,' Derek offered her his arm. 'May I have this dance?' 

'Delighted,' she said and found herself swept onto the dance floor to a slow tune. Rayne could dance, that was one thing Lily knew for sure. He held her without squashing her toes or squeezing her fingers as some guys did. In fact, he practically floated across the floor, and she felt like a fairy princess because of it. 'You dance quite well, Mr. Rayne,' she told him, intrigued by this charming, handsome man who was also very dangerous. 

'Benefit of a prep school education, Miss Marquette. Dance class were always a staple, and, luckily, I learned despite a teacher who was assured that I was unteachable and therefore a lost cause.' He smiled, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. 

'Prep school, so your family must have money,' she replied. 

'Money?' He chuckled. 'I guess that's one way of putting it. Actually, some would say filthy rich. Old, old money from some ancestor who had nothing better to do with it than save it,' he teased her. 

Lily giggled, feeling like a schoolgirl with a first crush. 'So, you play polo and go to the club all day, I gather?' she teased him. 

'Actually, I'm mainly a bio-anthropologist and forensics expert. I do, however, have multiple degrees in other things. When I was born, my father saw me as the heir apparent and trained me to take over for him before I could hold my head up,' he explained. 

'Only child?' she asked. 

Derek smiled, and Lily decided she definitely liked it when he smiled. 'No I was the second child of Winston and Barbara Rayne. My older sister, Ingrid, is a nun in California.' 

'Are your parents still alive?' she asked. 

'My mother lives in Amsterdam, but my father was killed when I was fifteen. We were in Peru. I was on a holiday from school when my father was attacked and murdered before my eyes,' he responded. 

For a moment that stopped Lily, and then she continued to dance. 'That must have been horrible. Did they ever catch the killer?' she asked. 

'I did. Then I went to my father to hold him for the few minutes of life he had left. He died knowing the person who killed him died before his victim,' he answered with a coldness that made Lily feel as if she were standing naked in a blizzard. 

* * *

'Nick,' Liam called as he threw a pillow at Nick Boyle's head. 

Nick groaned. 'Five more minutes.' Liam shook the bed. 'I was dreaming of Alex as a French maid, you know,' he complained. 

'Frilly hat and all, no doubt,' Liam answered sarcastically. 

'Actually, all she was wearing was a smile, but that's besides the point.' Nick winked at Liam's stunned expression. 

'It's eight a.m. and still no sign of Derek,' said Liam, worriedly. 

'Anybody ever tell you you're a nag? Derek's a big boy and can take care of himself,' said Nick as he took Liam's coffee cup and took a swig. He grimaced. 'You call this coffee? Coffee's supposed to crawl out of the cup to greet you in the morning.' 

The doorbell rang, and Liam answered it, shaking his head at Nick's apparent disregard for Derek's safety. 

'Liam, are Derek and Nick here?' asked Melissa Chambers. 

'Ah, Missy, my darling.' Nick smiled as he motioned her to come in. 

'Mr. Boyle, my name is Melissa,' she answered. 

'My father is Mr. Boyle. I'm Nick. To the ladies I have a whole other title,' he teased. 

'Yeah, primitive,' she answered sarcastically. 'Is Derek here?' 

'Nope. He decided to take a walk, but I expect he'll be back....' Nick trailed off as Liam, who had been closing the door, suddenly felt it being pushed open. He looked and saw Derek. 

'Derek, we were worried,' Liam said. 

'That's nice,' Derek said, absentmindedly. 'By the way, Captain Marquette says to say hi, Liam.' 

'Lily? When did you meet Lily?' asked a puzzled Liam. 

'Lovely lady, and an excellent dancer, by the way. Miss Chambers, I see you've finally found something you felt was worth bringing us in on,' said Derek. 

'We may have a way for you to get home,' she responded. 

* * *

'Use the spell to return Nick, I'm staying,' Derek said as he very efficiently pulled a gun out of the back of his pants and set about checking it over. 

'Boss, I'm not leaving without you,' Nick said. 

'I'm not leaving without Roarke or at least a good explanation,' Derek replied as he returned the gun to its former position. 

'What are you going to do? Shoot up Washington, D.C., until someone gives you the answers you want?' asked a worried Liam. 

'If I have to.' 

'Mr. Rayne, I'm assured that this Roarke wouldn't want you to be lost here instead of returning home,' said Melissa. 

'I'll ask her when I see her.' 

'You're not going to let this go are you?' she asked. 

'No,' he replied, and a frown crossed his face almost as if he were trying to look at Melissa a little closer. 

'I guess I better tell my precept of this development,' Melissa said and picked up her coat and briefcase as she headed for the door. Liam opened the door for her and gave her a sad look. 

'Look, Melissa, if Derek doesn't go I don't go. I guess your precept has time to find the correct spell.' 

Melissa nodded in response as her very worried expression settled on Derek. After they said their good-byes and Liam had closed the door Melissa strode down the corridor and into the elevator. She shook her hands, and her coat and briefcase disappeared into thin air. Daria popped in beside her, and she jumped. 'Daria don't do that!' she chided. As she shook her blonde hair it slowly turned chestnut, and her face transformed into that of Karen Roarke. 

'He won't leave without me,' she said quietly. 

'Did you expect any less? He loves you. These mortals and their love,' Daria tsked quietly, but Karen could see the sadness in Daria's eyes, knowing that she understood and sympathized. 

Karen waved a hand in an ancient pattern, and a doorway appeared. They both stepped through to the Ancient One's throne room. 

'Caros is more trouble than he's worth. Maybe this time she'll let us kill him,' Karen grounded out between clenched teeth. Daria looked over at her in shocked surprise. 

* * *

'Toil, toil, and trouble, add three lovely ladies and a priest to the mix,' said Caros gleefully as he watched one by one the members of the Legacy team in 2001 San Francisco disappear and then reappear in Washington, D.C., 2010. 

'Kat?!' asked a panicked Rachel as she looked about for her twelve-year-old daughter. 

'Here, Mom,' Kat said, and her mother enveloped her in a hug. 

'Where are we?' asked Kristen. 

'A long way from home,' said the Irish lilt of Phillip Callahan as he motioned to a paper dated April 21, 2010. 

'We're in Liam's time,' exclaimed Alex as she looked about her. 

'I assume there are still ways of finding out where a person lives, so we can probably find Liam's address,' said Rachel. 

'And then what?' asked Kristen. 

'Hope somebody's home,' answered Alex. 

* * *

'Major Kincaid?' 

Liam blinked and looked up to see Da'an looking at him worriedly. 'Da'an I....' A noise drew his attention to the door of his office. 

'Major Kincaid, there is an Alex Moreau here to see you,' said a young blonde. 

'Thank you, Annette, would you show her in.' Liam rose and nervously straightened his shirt. 

'Liam, is Ms. Moreau someone I should know?' asked Da'an. Liam smiled to himself, but before he could answer Alex stepped into the room. 

'Alex!' Liam smiled in delight, and Alex hugged him tightly. 

'Liam, it's good to see you again,' she replied. 

'How did....I mean . . ..' With Da'an in the room, Liam wasn't sure how to ask the question of how she got there. 

'We arrived today from San Francisco,' Alex answered. 

Liam realized she had picked up on his need. 'Us?' he asked. 

'Rachel, Kat, Phillip and Kristen.' 

'They're all here?' he asked in surprise. 

'I don't know how it happened, but, yes, they are. They're at your apartment with Nick. He told us Derek had left again. I thought he might have come here to see you,' said Alex. 

'He didn't.' 

Alex and Liam spun to see Karen Roarke standing in the doorway. 

'Caddy!' she hugged Karen, and Karen hugged her back as she gave Liam a sad smile. 

'How?' asked Liam, stunned. 

'I guess I should start explaining, huh?' 

'What?' asked Alex, puzzled. 

'Major....Liam, you have to tell Derek to go back home without me,' Karen said. 

'That's impossible. He won't leave without you, and when I tell him....' Liam began. 

'No! You can't tell him,' she pleaded. 

'Perhaps I should leave,' offered Da'an. 

Karen looked at him as if she just realized he was there. A vortex began by Liam's desk and a man stepped through. 

'Caros!' Karen hissed through clenched teeth. 

'I take it you know him?' asked Liam. 

'You could say that,' Karen responded, and suddenly brought her hands up in time to stop a flame thrown at them by Caros. Alex looked at Karen, puzzled, as Da'an inspected the energy field that seemed to be coming from Karen's hands. 

'What the hell?!' exclaimed Liam. 

'Quiet child!' ordered Caros. 'Come with me, and I won't hurt anyone.' 

'You won't hurt them anyway,' Karen said sarcastically. 

'Oh really?' he asked. Nick appeared beside him appeared. Caros held him by the hair with one hand while the other hand held a knife to his throat. 

'Nick!?' cried Alex. She ran towards him, only to be flung back by the force field. 

'He dies; you die,' said Karen in a threatening manner. 

* * *

Derek stepped outside to get a breath of air and stretched his back. He smiled to himself as he remembered Roarke ragging on him about his long hours and what they did to his already damaged back. He heard a noise and spun to see a stranger staring at him. 'Who....?' he began but was stopped as a cloth covered his mouth and nose. He struggled, but more than one pair of hands held him tightly as the stranger grinned evilly at him. Everything began to fade and then went blissfully black as he passed out. The stranger motioned for the others to pick up Derek. They quietly deposited Derek's unconscious form in the back of a van before getting in themselves and driving away. 

Rachel rose and opened the door. 'Nick....' she began only to find two women standing at the door. 

'Doctor Corrigan, I'm Melaine Evers and this is....' she began, but the other woman cut her off. 

'I'm Katherine Shaver of the Washington, D.C., house,' she introduced herself. 

'Please come in,' said Rachel as she showed them in and closed the door behind them. There was something about Katherine Shaver that was familiar, and it sent a strange feeling through Rachel. She introduced them to the others and sat down next to Alex. 

'We do have a spell to return you and the others to San Francisco of 2001, Doctor,' said Melaine. 

'Melissa already told us this,' said Nick. 

'That's impossible Mr. Boyle, because Melissa has been out of town since last Friday and hasn't returned yet,' answered Melaine. 

'Then who was here the other night?' 

'I don't know, but it certainly is interesting. I'd be eager to find out who is impersonating a member of the Legacy.' 

'Kat?!' Rachel exclaimed and saw the surprised look Katherine Shaver gave her. 

'What about Kat?' asked Kristen. 

'I believe her outburst means my mother just recognized me,' said Katherine Corrigan. 

'Oh Kat! My beautiful baby!' Rachel said as tears started to streak down her face. She took Kat's face between both of her hands. 'I'm so sorry, baby,' said Rachel in an anguished voice. 

'Mom, I'm not a baby. I'm twenty-two and a college graduate. There is also nothing to be sorry for, because no matter what I knew you loved me,' Kat answered. 

Nick sat down, stunned, as Lily Marquette and Augur, who had arrived earlier to see Liam, looked puzzled. Before leaving for the embassy Liam had told them what had happened, and they'd promised to do what they could to help. 

'Kat is Rachel's twelve year old daughter....I mean, she's twelve in our time. For us it's only been a few days that we've been gone, but for Kat it's been ten years,' explained Kristen. 

'Your life's been good?' Rachel asked as she tried to control her emotions. 

'My life has been wonderful; and I'm sorta hoping that you can stick around for my wedding.' She grinned. 

'Wedding? Do I know the guy? Do I need to give him the talk?' Nick asked. 

Kat laughed. 'No you don't know him, and, no, you don't need to give him the talk. He's twenty-five and a med student. He treats me as if I were a queen,' replied Kat. 

'Smart man, or I might have had to hurt him,' Nick growled playfully. 

'I missed this,' said Kat as her eyes began to get suspiciously damp. 

* * *

Derek groaned and rolled over to the edge of the bed. He sat up, and the door opened. A man entered and was followed by two other men. 'What the hell is going on?!' he demanded. 

'Your presence is required for a very special task, Mr. Rayne,' he said ominously. 

'What task is that?' he asked angrily. 

'The destruction of the Ancient One and her followers, including Karen Roarke.' 

In a rage Derek launched himself at the men and was karate chopped into unconsciousness. He slumped to the floor, and the man motioned for the other two men to put him back on the bed. 

* * *

**PART 5**

'He lives or he dies, it's your choice, child, ' Caros taunted. 

'If he dies, then let it be at my hands,' Karen hissed as a bright light burst forth from her hands. The light spewed forth and enveloped Nick. He disintegrated before their eyes. 

'No!' screamed Alex, whose forward motion was stopped by Liam. She struggled in his arms in an attempt to break free, unable to understand what was happening. A black cloud enveloped Caros, and he vanished. Tears streaked down Alex's face as she sobbed quietly and tried to understand the reason for Nick's death. 

'Alex?' Karen said quietly. When Alex didn't respond, she took the hysterical woman's face between her hands. 'Alex!' she commanded, and Alex looked up at her. 'It wasn't Nick. It wasn't Nick, sweetie,' Karen nodded and smiled at the unspoken question that entered Alex's eyes. Alex let out a sob of relief, and they hugged each other as Liam went over to check on Da'an. 

'What?' asked a confused Alex. Karen explained everything to her. Alex took the news in shocked silence. Karen's stomach twisted as she waited for Alex's reaction. 'It's a little hard to hear you've been lying to me,' Alex finally responded. She placed a finger on Karen's lips, stalling any attempt at protest. 'You're my sister, not by blood or law, but definitely in my heart. It hurts that you didn't feel you could trust me, especially after we got to know each other. I can understand the fear you must have had, though. When I first met you I might have freaked or thought you insane if you'd told me then. Family is expected to screw up, though. Right?' Alex teased with a mischievous smile. 

'Oh, you tease!' complained Karen. 

'That's what Nick loves best about me,' Alex giggled. 

'Want to explain the alley?' asked Liam. 

'I thought it would keep you and the others safe from Caros if I disappeared from your lives. I guess I was wrong,' she answered. 

'I take it that this Caros is an enemy?' asked Da'an. 

'Caros is evil. He wants to control everything. If Caros gets his way, most mortals in the realms will be enslaved or put in zoos. The Ancient One believes in protecting mortals, but Caros looks upon them as something to be scraped off the bottom of his boot,' explained Karen. 

'Sounds familiar,' murmured Liam. He smiled sheepishly at Da'an's glance. 

'What can we do to help?' offered Alex. 

'Alex....' she began. 

'Don't even think of cutting us out of this. It's our lives, and we're not going to sit around and wait to die,' Alex insisted. 

'Then we better involve the others,' she answered. 

'They're at my place,' Liam said. 

'I know,' answered Karen. At his puzzled look she transformed into Melissa and then back into herself. 

Kat, the adult, conversed quietly with Rachel, but was careful to not corrupt the timeline by telling Rachel any specifics. The others were discussing what ten years had done to earth and the Legacy when the door opened. Liam entered followed by Alex, but when Karen entered Nick shot up. He stood clenching and unclenching his fists, unsure how to proceed. When he saw the barely held back tears in Karen's eyes he relaxed. 

'So, you finally found your way home, little sis. Such as it is,' he grinned and winked at her. 

'I owe you all an explanation,' she said quietly. 

'I guess that is my cue to leave,' said Melaine. Karen looked at her and then back to Nick. He shook his head, meaning he hadn't mentioned all of what had happened in the alley. A pressure she didn't even know she had lifted from. Liam gave her a light shove, and she walked over to the others to be greeted warmly. As Melaine got their coats adult Kat hugged Rachel goodbye. Alex explained everything that had happened at the embassy, including Karen's reasons for doing what she had done. Karen was relieved that they could forgive her for keeping such a secret from them. 

'We should tell Derek she's back,' said Nick. 

'He went out on the terrace a while ago. We didn't want to bother him,' said Kristen. 

Nick went to get him and returned with the news that Derek was missing. They searched the apartment but couldn't find a sign of him. 'Derek's gone,' said Rachel, worried. 

Derek groaned and rolled over. As he sat up he noticed it hadn't been a bad dream after all. He was still being held by Caros, whoever he was. The name sounded familiar, but for some reason he didn't know why. The name invoked the sound of Karen screaming in what had seemed like agony, but he didn't understand why. Suddenly a vortex appeared in the room next to the cot, and Daria Du Beauchamps stepped out. 

'Hello, handsome.' She winked at the surprised precept. 

'I should have guessed,' he groused. 

'Moan later. I'm here to break you out, and we better get moving before the guards see us,' she explained. Just then the door opened, and Daria quickly created a vortex. One of the guards raised a weapon at Derek, and Daria, throwing her body at Derek, pushed him through the vortex. Moments later Derek felt her slump forward in his arms. He landed off balance on the other side and half realized there was movement. The sound of the vortex cut off as he examined an unconscious Daria. 

'We'll see to her, mortal,' said Mara. Derek looked up to see a blonde, whose hair was almost silver and blue eyes almost colorless. She motioned for two women to remove Daria, and they lifted her with care as Mara helped Derek up. 

'Will she be all right?' he asked, concerned. 

'Mayhap better than you, mortal,' answered Mara as she motioned for him to follow her. 

'The name is Derek Rayne, not mortal,' he said with a bit of anger. He was tired of being treated like a child. She pulled up and stared at him, raising an eyebrow in question like she was reassessing him. 

'My apologies, sir, but my manners are a tad....rusty, I believe is the proper word,' she answered. Derek walked with her out of the building they'd been in, and he stopped at the sight that met his eyes. 

'Heaven?' he murmured. 

'No, my lord. Just Atlantis,' Mara answered with a bemused expression. 

'It exists?' Derek asked, shocked. 

'We have hidden it from the outside world as well as possible until they are ready for the things we have to offer,' answered Mara. 'The Ancient One awaits.' 

She motioned for him to continue walking. As he did, he noticed children playing and, every so often, people would stop their activity to stare as he went past. They stared with interest, as if they wanted to engage him in conversation but didn't because of Mara. He also noticed women dressed like Mara or men in uniform with weapons. 

'Amazons and the Royal Guard work together for security here,' she answered the question forming in his mind. 

'Amazons work with men?' 

'It's men with small egos who believe we Amazons can't work just fine with males if we prefer to,' she explained. 

* * *

'Caros has him!' Karen said, starting to panic. Nick took the crying woman into his arms. A vortex appeared to the side of the room and out stepped three Amazons. 

'The Ancient One requests your presence, Princess Ayla,' said the leader of the party. 

'More you haven't told us?' asked Nick. 

'I'm sorry. I'd better go,' she said. 

'All of you are requested. She said to bring the mortals as well my liege,' said the leader. 

'My daughter....' Rachel began. 

'She has already been attended to,' the leader responded. 

Before Rachel could go check on Kat in Liam's bedroom Karen stopped her. 'Next time ask before taking. The child has been the focus of previous kidnapping attempts, and you could have caused unnecessary panic,' Karen told the leader. 

'What do we do?' asked Phillip. 

'Step through the vortex, mortal,' said the leader as she stepped aside. 

''Mortal' is not a term to be used in their presence,' snapped Karen. 

'My apologies, my liege. This way, my lord.' She bowed her hand and motioned once again to the vortex. One by one the San Francisco Legacy house members stepped through and found themselves stunned as they arrived on the other side. 

'Atlantis in all its glory,' Karen explained to her fellow team members before motioning for them to follow her. 

* * *

Derek arrived at a large room and saw the Ancient One puttering about a table. 

'The precept, my lady,' Mara said and stepped back to the doorway, taking up a protective stance. 

'Ah, Rayne. So good to see you again,' she greeted him. 'Come, come, boy.' She motioned him over to her. 

'I'm not a boy.' 

'To me, Precept, fifty-one years is a boy, actually more of a babe,' she explained with a mischievous grin. 'The others have been retrieved and are on their way here. See to their speedy delivery, Mara.' Mara nodded and left the room quickly. 

'Do you want to tell me what's going on, or do we do the same mysterious riddle routine?' asked Derek. 

She smiled. 'My apologies. I should return your memory from before.' 

'Memory? ' asked Derek, confused. 

'All who are not of Atlantis are made to forget it once they're back in the real world. Not to do so would make us vulnerable, causing grief for your kind as well as ours. It's bad enough that someone got sloppy with that man, Plato.' She waved a hand across his face and the memories returned. 

'She....' he stopped, stunned. 

'Risked her life at Caros' hands to protect you, Precept,' the Ancient One finished for him. 'She very well might have been killed by Caros, but she chose to place her body between you and Caros' vengeance.' 

* * *

'This place seems familiar,' said Phillip. Karen winced as she heard him. 

'Phillip, you went to Atlantis and didn't take me? Shame on you,' teased Nick. 

Karen knew that Phillip had a nagging feeling because he'd followed her one night when she had vortexed to Atlantis. She had been made to remove his memory of it. She had not only asked that Phillip be allowed to remember, but the others be brought to Atlantis. The Ancient One had refused, saying they weren't ready. _I guess they're ready,_ she told herself. 'We'll be there soon,' she said to the others. 

Mara arrived and dismissed the guards. 'Welcome home, Shamar Sistal,' she greeted Karen. 

'Mara, it's good to see you. We have to see the Ancient One, Derek's....' she began. 

'Conversing with the Ancient One as we speak. She sent me to gather you strangers,' Mara replied. 

'Stragglers, Mara. It's stragglers.' 

Mara practiced the word soundlessly once, and then looked at Karen again. 'Caros had kidnapped him from the mortal, Kincaid's, terrace, but Daria went and got him. She was injured in the rescue, but she is expected to recover fully,' Mara informed her. They continued on until they reached a building that seemed, by any standards, ancient. 

'Once more unto the breach, my dear friends,' said Karen. 

Derek slumped into a chair as the memories gently returned and he realized how much she'd been willing to sacrifice for him. 

'Some have passion like Ay....Karen and live the job. They're the ones we need because they never give up, even when it seems hopeless. She is untouchable by evil. The kind such as you yourself, Precept, who would never be swayed by the dark side. Caros and his followers destroy them every chance they get,' she explained. 

'What does he want?' asked Derek 

'To rule the realms. But why the fool wants that job, I have no idea. I let the royal family deal with such trivialities,' she responded huffily. 

'You don't want to rule, yourself?' he asked. 

'What fool would? Long hours, no respect, and plenty of complaints, I assure you.' Derek smiled at her reply. 'Of course, for those of you born to it, like you, Anointed One, or the Tal Chee, like Karen....' she trailed off with a shrug. 

'Tal Chee?' he asked, beginning to feel like a student instead of a precept who'd spent fifty-one years being readied for the job he now held. 

'Vala, Chosen one, etc. etc.,' she explained as she waved her hand absentmindedly. 'You are the ones with the strength for that nonsense, not an old woman like me.' 

The door opened, and Mara entered with the others. Karen raced into Derek's arms, and he kissed her before holding her close. 

* * *

**PART 6**

"I missed you," he told her quietly. 

"I missed you too," she said as she looked into his eyes with a look that seemed to be trying to judge his mood. 

"Karen, we need to talk but that's later, right now I think we're needed." He nodded towards the Ancient One. 

"You are always needed Derek," the Ancient One said solemnly. 

"Caros is apparently up to his old tricks," he told her. 

"I know. Alex, Liam and I were at the Taelon embassy when he came with a golem of Nick and threatened to kill Nick unless I surrendered," Karen explained. 

"I saw Nick die and the only thing that saved me from ripping his throat out was Caddy telling me it wasn't really Nick," said Alex. 

"I didn't know you cared," teased Nick. 

"I always care," she murmured as she caressed his cheek. 

"Well it's good to know," he smiled. 

"Can we get you two a room?" asked Daria as she entered the room. 

"I gather this Caros guy is the one we take out?" asked Liam. 

"Ever the duty bound one, Major Kincaid. Your life is more than one of duty or it can be all you need to do is find the one. The problem is you aren't even bothering to look," said the Ancient One. 

"I'll look later, right now we have a psycho out there." 

"Caros will always be there or his kind will. They've been there since this rock called Earth was created and they will be there after the rock cools and crumbles." 

"Good to know," quipped Nick. "I didn't want to be greedy and not leave anything for anyone else but since there is an unlimited supply...." he trailed off with a grin. 

"I knew I like you, Mr. Boyle," the Ancient One smiled gently at him. "Caros has plans and will no doubt always have plans, but I called you here to send you home." 

Nick groaned in disappointment. "I want a shot at this Caros," he complained. 

"Besides, it seems a shame to waste the fact that he brought us here for a reason," said Alex. 

"I knew you were my kind of girl," Nick hugged her. 

"Did you ever think, Miss Moreau, that reason wasn't good for the side of light. That maybe by your very presence here you could destroy everything you ever worked for?" asked the Ancient One. 

"Hadn't thought of that," said Phillip. 

"Yeah, but think, is she sending us back because she knows it's for the best or because she thinks it's for the best. If she knows I'll go no complaints. If she thinks there might be a chance we're here to stop him not to aid him," said Nick. 

"I believe Nick has a point," said Derek. 

"A fight to the end? Heroes always want to fight even when they're not supposed to," said Daria. 

"Daria, remember Mac and Ahriman?" Karen asked. 

"Yes, he learned the best way to fight was not to fight at all." 

"Hello, can we get the conversation for dummies version here?" asked Nick. 

"Sorry. Mac was destined to be the champion against Ahriman. Ahriman was...is...a demon who, every thousand years gets released from his imprisonment. A champion is born to fight him and if the champion wins the demon returns to his imprisonment for another thousand years," Karen explained. 

"And if Ahriman wins?" asked Liam. 

"Luckily so far the champion has always won. If he didn't it would literally be hell on earth," explained Daria. 

"Why do I have the feeling more things go bump in the night than a person ever dreamt of?" he asked. 

"If you're nice I'll go bump in the night with you, Major," Daria teased him. 

"Ahem," the Ancient One cleared her throat. "Shall we?" 

"No," Karen said quietly. "Nick has a point that whatever reason Caros brought them here has to be something we stop." 

"What if your presence is a self fulfilling doomsday prophecy?" asked Mara. 

"Then we deal with it as it comes," she answered. 

"Said Mrs. O'Leary's cow," joked Daria. Karen gave her a look that said her comment wasn't appreciated. 

"Mrs. O'Leary's cow, as in the great Chicago fire that burned down most of Chicago in 1871?" asked Liam. 

"History buff hey junior?" asked Daria with a grin. 

"I dabble." He returned the grin with a saucy wink as well. 

"You have to decide," the Ancient One said. 

"We stay and fight," said Nick. 

"Where Nick goes I do," said Alex. 

"I'm with Nick and Alex," said Phillip. 

"Well someone has to bandage you people up so count me in," said Rachel. 

"Derek and I never turn down a good fight," said Karen. 

"Precept?" asked the Ancient One. 

Derek frowned and then met her gaze. "Like the lady said, we never turn down a good fight. I haven't spent over fifty years fighting the Dark side to let evil get a foothold because I went home with my tail between my legs instead of fighting the good fight." 

"Kristen? Kat?" she asked. 

"I joined for a reason and that reason to my knowledge still exists," replied Kristen. 

"My mom and me we make a great team and I'll do anything to get a chance to kick demon...." she started. 

"Young lady, the only thing you'll be kicking is back to do your homework." Kat gave her mother a look that said 'party pooper' better than the words ever could. 

"Don't worry, doctor, we'll take care of her," said a young redhead. 

"Alandra, why don't you take Katherine to get something to eat." The redhead nodded and motioned to Kat who joined her and then they left the room together. 

"You needn't worry, doctor, they will defend your daughter with their lives," the Ancient One told Rachel. 

"That makes me feel better knowing my daughter would be in a position to have some young woman die for her," she answered worriedly. 

"I shall return you to the Major's time and you can fight your good fight," the Ancient One said with a hint of amusement. A wave of her hand and they stood in Liam's apartment. 

"What do we do now?" asked Nick. 

"We wait out Caros and be ready for attack," Karen told him. 

"Until then I'm taking a walk and stretching my legs," said Alex. 

"Not without backup," said Nick as he started over to her. 

"The more the merrier," Alex replied and kissed him on the cheek as they headed out of the apartment. 

"Kat." 

Kat Corrigan jumped at her mother's voice. "What?" she asked. 

"From the looks of it you are going to return to bed," Rachel told her and took a grumbling Kat towards Liam's bedroom as Kat rubbed her eyes sleepily. 

"Phillip, want to join me on an attempt to locate the current San Francisco house and see what info they have on Caros?" asked Kristen. He nodded and they left the apartment. 

"Personally, I'm tired and ready for a nap," said Karen as Derek rubbed her shoulders. 

"Right after we talk," said Derek and she slumped as he drew her towards the terrace as she groaned out 'Derek'. 

Liam grabbed up his jacket and headed out of the apartment as he turned towards the Flat Planet. He knew that Lily and Augur would probably be there and he could tell them what happened and maybe get some help. He entered the Flat Planet and noticed Nick and Alex slow dancing. Where Nick had his hands on Alex, Liam wasn't sure, but he thought it might be illegal. 

Augur saw where he was looking and grinned. "Pretty girl, but the guy is just this side of being arrested for indecent behavior," he joked. 

"Augur, I get the feeling that Nick has done worse to Alex," Liam told him. 

Lily raised a questioning eyebrow and gave him a maternal look of concern. "Do you see who he's hanging out with thanks to you," she chided Augur. 

"I'm not to blame for it, he's your son too," protested Augur. 

Lily chuckled. "You're right about that," she said as seductively as possible because she knew it would freak him out and she enjoyed freaking him out. 

"Oh, really?" Augur appraised her from head to toe as Liam grinned and shook his head at their behavior. 

"And you're complaining about them," Liam said and got a look from Lily that told him he could still be spanked regardless of how big he got. 

  
Nick and Alex left the floor and spotting Liam headed over to him. "Hey Kincaid," Nick greeted him. 

"So how are you and Alex?" Liam asked. 

"We're fine," said Alex as she kissed Nick's cheek and he slung an affectionate arm around her waist. 

"Real fine." Nick winked at him, which caused Alex to elbow him. 

"Don't listen to the troublemaker, he'll just get you into trouble," Alex explained. 

"Then send him away because I've got enough problems with Augur's influence on him," said Lily. 

Nick grinned. "Nick Boyle at your service, my lady." He bowed to her. 

"And no doubt your middle name starts with a 't' and ends with 'e'," she replied. 

"Correction, capital 'T'," quipped Alex. "Alex Moreau, and it's nice to met friends of Liam's." 

"Oh, we're not his friends we're his parents," teased Augur. 

Nick smiled and Alex looked confused. "Don't mind that pest, I'm Lily Marquette and it's a pleasure to meet you," she introduced herself. 

"The famous Lily," Nick said with a mischievous smile. 

"Famous?" Augur asked. 

"They're friends of Derek Rayne's, who I hear you've already met Lily." He gave her a cool appraising look. 

"Yeah, great dancer," was all she said before taking a gulp of her drink. Augur lowered his head and tried to meet Lily's eyes as she suddenly found her drink fascinating. "What?!" she asked looking at Augur then Liam before finally settling her gaze on Nick and Alex. 

"Don't let Roarke hear or the boss is going to be minus some body parts," teased Nick. 

"Roarke?" asked Augur. 

"The lady he was pining over when he was here?" asked Lily. 

"The love of his life and a lady who keeps a close eye on what's hers, just like me," Alex said. 

"Speaking of trouble," Nick said and Alex looked at him confused until he nodded towards the door where Derek had just entered with Karen. 

"Ah, the man in question and with the new love of my life," Augur said. Lily swatted him. "You needn't be jealous, my love, you'll always have been my first," he teased. 

Derek and Karen arrived at the bar and Liam stood offering her his seat. "I'm assuming you guys worked out things satisfactorily since your both here and not in the hospital," teased Liam. 

"Or morgue," joked Nick and Alex swatted him. 

"See what you started, beloved?" quipped Augur. 

"Shut up Augur or you'll be in the morgue," she answered. 

"My blood thirsty wench, you make my heart throb." He batted his eyes at her. 

Karen giggled. "I take it he's around for amusement." She winked at Lily. 

"Yep, what other use would he have?" Lily asked. 

"Abusive women, they had their good points," said Nick with a huge grin. 

"Let's dance, seal boy," Alex warned him as she led him back onto the dance floor. 

"Suzanne, take care of things," said Augur before excusing himself to answer a call. 

Luckily the call had come because Sandoval strolled through the door. "Captain Marquette, Major," he greeted them and then gave Karen a cool assessment. He was flustered when he realized she had returned the favor with her own cool assessment. 

"Karen Roarke, and you are?" 

"Companion Protector Ronald Sandoval." Karen felt Derek tense beside her but didn't let her reaction show. "I take it you're a friend of the Major's?" he asked. 

"And no doubt you're a colleague." She smiled at him mysteriously. Sandoval had been unnerved by Derek and found himself unnerved by the man's companion. 

"We meet again. Derek, wasn't it?" said Sandoval as he assessed the man before him and once again come up with the answer that a person had to watch this man carefully. 

"Why don't you two whip it out and see whose is bigger and then tuck and zip, but be careful you don't catch anything important when you zip," said Roarke. Lily choked on her drink and nearly spit it out all over the bar. 

"Lily?" asked a concerned Suzanne as Liam patted her on the back. 

"I'm....fine...." Lily said between coughs as she tried to stop the spasms brought on by swallowing wrong. 

"Captain?" asked Karen as Lily's coughing subsided. 

"Fine." She waved at Roarke finding it hard to meet her eyes. 

"Ms. Roarke, you are...." Sandoval trailed off unsure on how to describe the woman before him. 

"I know and you're a fine man but I'm sure you're even better looking when you smile," Karen flirted with him. 

Derek raised his eyebrow but wisely said nothing, he'd seen her do it before. Turning into a seductive little flirt and using certain physical assets to make a man more agreeable to answering questions. She'd told him that one of things she liked about him is a woman couldn't make him stupid like most men seemed to get around pretty woman. Sandoval apparently appreciated the view but wasn't one of those men who didn't let his brain drop to his pants when a pretty woman flirted with him. 

"I have no doubt, Ms. Roarke, that you could kill an man without remorse," Sandoval suggested. 

"Ah, but why have remorse when he'd have died happy," she replied. Lily began choking again and shoved her drink away not willing to continue drinking due to the possibility that she could end up choking to death. "Of course, that's all anyone wants is happiness isn't it, Agent?" She purred the word Agent. 

Liam could have sworn that Sandoval's complexion darkened significantly and that it was due to him blushing. "Ms. Roarke, I think I better leave before I find myself in more trouble than I can get out of." 

"Don't think you can get away that easy, Agent Sandoval. Before I let you slip from my grasp I'm going to get a dance out of you." She offered him her hand and a seductive smile. Liam felt sorry for Sandoval because there was no way he could get out of here without a dance. She took him out onto the dance floor and Liam winced when Sandoval jumped as her hand found it's way to his backside, which she gave an affectionate squeeze. Liam had the feeling that Roarke could find out and or get anything her little heart desired. Derek sat back with a grin on his face that said he was enjoying seeing Sandoval in a position of discomfort not from mean spiritedness but from someone who'd been there himself. 

"Agent Sandoval, why do I sense there is more to you than meets the eye?" she asked him. 

"Perhaps you're a romantic?" he responded with a smile. 

"Yes most definitely, but not in this case. I have a little talent that I've always listened to because it benefits me to. You, Mr. Sandoval, it tells me have a connection to Major Kincaid and that there are layers to you that a woman could spend a lifetime peeling away to find the real you," she teased. 

"Every woman wants a little mystery to keep the romance, but who says the mysterious one has to the woman?" Sandoval asked. 

"Now you're getting into the swing of it." She laughed as he dipped her. "Such grace and style Agent Sandoval, you could sweep a woman off her feet." She giggled. 

"If they were like you Ms. Roarke, I would happily sweep them away." 

"Gorgeous, charming and dangerous just my kind of man." 

"Somehow I have the feeling Mr. Rayne wouldn't appreciate a romance between us." 

"Derek? Derek is the kind of man who gets things done as he wants them and no one argues. He says jump, they say how high - if they say anything at all." 

"So you do as you're told?" 

She stopped dancing for a moment. "Mr. Sandoval, no one tells me what to do. The reason Derek and I are so good together is because I'm his equal. Derek would never find a woman interesting unless she could hold her own mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically." 

"Must be stressful always having to live up to him?" 

She threw her head back in a laugh. "Sandoval, I never play with men that aren't worthy of me. It wouldn't be nice to hook up with a man that I could control with brains or looks not to mention extremely boring." 

"And Major Kincaid?" he asked as he swung her around in a spin. 

"Kincaid is a man like his father, not to be trifled with. It would be better to have him as a friend then an enemy. Don't let your ego get so big that you can't see your downfall. To believe Liam is anything less than you would be a huge mistake," she told him in a seductive whisper. The caress of her breath across his ear made him shiver just as his gaze met Liam's. "Sandoval, be careful you don't make a mistake and fail to see your true friends. Liam is a good man and who will benefit you if you let him. Use and abuse him and he will take you down without mercy," she purred into his ear. "As for Zo'or, he'll let you get away with your plots for as long as you're useful and then he'll kill you." She stopped dancing and took his cheeks in her hands before giving him a deep and passionate kiss before returning to the others. 

Sandoval stood stunned watching her walk away with a sway that could turn even the most intelligent men into a drooling fifteen year old with runaway hormones. 

"Was that necessary?" asked Derek as she returned. 

"Yes." She smiled at him with a mischievous grin. 

"Sandoval is about to spit nails," giggled Lily. 

"Well, if nothing else he'll be off kilter for a few days which will benefit us," she said. Karen wiggled her fingers in a goodbye wave as Sandoval left the Flat Planet. 

"Make that a week," said Liam and Lily tried to cover a laugh. She felt sorry for Sandoval knowing that a woman who could get the best of him would be very valuable to the resistance. 

"Don't pout Derek, it doesn't work with me," she teased him. 

"I don't pout, I get even," he told her and offered his hand to Lily who accepted it and was swept onto the dance floor. 

"If he kisses her I'll kill them both," she hissed. Liam cleared his throat. "Sorry, I'm the jealous type." She smiled sweetly at him. 

"That's good to hear," replied Augur who had reappeared from nowhere. "Lily is mine and I don't intend on ever giving her up." 

"Hence all those holograms of her that she's bruised you repeatedly over," Liam said. 

  
"Washington 2010 is cold," Alex said and shivered. She smiled when she felt Nick wrap his leather jacket around her shoulders. She slipped her arms into the jacket's arms and brought the collar up to sniff his scent. His cologne always made a warm feeling start in her stomach and work it's way outward. She's known his scent long before she'd told him how she'd felt about him. Her mind went back to when they were trying to help Julian Luna catch a killer and remember when Nick had rescued her from an attacker. Her own personal white knight in shining leather. Alex smiled to herself at the thought, he'd been knocked cold and she had to perform CPR but it had turned into a kiss. 

Nick had thought he was dreaming when he regained consciousness and had kissed her in a way that had set her lips on fire and everything else. When he realized what was happening he pushed away, but in the end they'd been forced to admit their feelings for each other. Alex was grateful for that attacker or she might never have gotten the courage to tell Nick she loved him. 

A couple guys rushed past and knocked Alex into Nick's arms. "Those--!" Nick stopped himself before he swore out loud. She found it sweet that he didn't want to swear in front of her. 

"Are you all right?" asked a pretty blonde. 

"Yes," answered Alex as Nick helped her stand. 

"I'm sorry, my name is Hayley Simmons," she introduced herself. 

"Alex Moreau, and this is Nick Boyle," she introduced them. Hayley leaned down to pick up something and a pendant slid out of her shirt. "You know Liam?" said Alex. 

"Liam?" Hayley said quietly, not sure if she should trust the woman before her. 

"Liam Kincaid, a friend, has the same pendant but he said there were only two. The one he was wearing, and the one he got for a special lady...." Alex trailed off. 

"I guess then I'd be that special lady friend." Hayley grinned ear to ear at Alex's distress. 

"Liam had said it was low key," Alex tried to explain. 

"Liam and I aren't announcing but yes we are involved." 

"Liam's a great guy and you're a lucky lady," said Nick with a wink. 

"Maybe Liam's the lucky one?" Hayley suggested. 

"We should have dinner or something before Nick and I go back to San Francisco. Then you can tell me what else I should know so I don't screw up again," she chuckled. 

"It's all right, it's just Liam's a Companion Protector and I'm....not." 

Alex knew that meant their being seen together would put both of them in danger. Liam had talked with her about their significant others and explained he and his special lady were on opposite sides. If the Taelons found out he had become involved with a woman he was supposed to keep an eye on, it would cause a great deal of grief. Alex understood impossible relationships and wouldn't begrudge the man a little happiness in what seemed such a sad life. Liam reminded her a great deal of Derek, a man who spent so much time on duty and obligations he rarely had time to just be happy. 

"Look, I have to get going...." Hayley said. 

"Maybe some other time?" Alex offered. 

"Yeah, maybe some other time," Hayley replied. 

Nick and Alex watched her leave, then turned back to walking down the step. A few moments later a couple guys stopped them. "Did you see a young blonde woman and two young men?" one of the men asked. 

"Yes," said Nick and Alex tensed at his answer. "They went that way." Nick pointed in the opposite direction from where Hayley and her friends had run. After they left, Alex turned and looked at Nick. "She's a friend of Liam, which makes her one of the good guys, right?" 

Alex kissed him. "Sometimes it surprises me how you keep reminding me of why I fell in love with you." 

"And here I thought you just wanted my body," Nick teased. 

"That too." She squeezed his rear. 

"Madam, I do believe you have your hand on my posterior," he said playfully. 

"Yes, I do believe I do, and remind me - I need a way of finding out your mother's recipe." 

"For what?" 

"For men like you." She laughed and gave a squeal as Nick growled and nuzzled her neck. "Not here Nick!" she exclaimed. 

"Not here, not Liam's place. Know a good motel?" 

  
"San Francisco hasn't changed much," said Phillip as he looked out over the water towards Angel Island. 

"I wonder if we still are members of the San Francisco house?" Kristen replied. 

"Since we saw the older Kat we obviously get back home, I gather, unless something went badly wrong we still are. The problem is, should we go over to the island and chance blowing up?" Kristen looked at him, puzzled. "All the time travel stories say you can't meet your future or past selves. Something about not being able to have two of the same exist in the same place," he explained. 

"So how do we find out what happened and how we got home?" 

"Frank, or maybe David?" he suggested. 

"You're brilliant, Callahan. Derek trusts Frank and we could get him to meet with us and give him the message not to bring our future selves." 

"Then the San Francisco police it is," said Phillip. 

"Wait, what do we do if Frank or David aren't there. Cops get killed in the line of duty you know," she suggested. 

"We pray....we pray very hard they live a long a really long life," answered Phillip. 

* * *

**PART 7**

Liam entered his apartment and felt someone was waiting in the shadows. He pulled out his gun as he spun to face whoever it was. 

"I surrender," teased Hayley Simmons as she came into the light. 

"This is no joking matter, I could have shot you," he told her in a concerned voice. 

"As leader of the resistance, I'm grateful you're so alert; but as my boyfriend, it worries me." 

"Say that again?" 

"As leader...." she began. 

"No, the boyfriend part," he joked. 

"Oh, you!" she hissed as she swatted him playfully and drew him into her arms. "I've been waiting all day for a kiss from you," she told him with a pout. Liam leaned in and kissed her deeply. She ran her hands along his back but groaned as he broke off the kiss. 

"Got a kid upstairs asleep, or at least I think she is," he explained. 

"A kid?" queried Hayley. 

"Yep, her and her mom." He led her to the couch and sat down. "Some friends got stuck in Washington and they're staying here." 

"Would two of them happened to be a saucy brunette with cat's eyes and his gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous, girlfriend with brown ringlets?" she asked staring at him intently. 

"You've met Alex and Nick?" asked a puzzled Liam as he sat up straighter. 

"We sorta bumped into each other, but from the looks of those two I'd say that didn't go far. They were more interested in each other than the world around them." She chuckled. 

"Sounds about right with those two. Listen Hayley, maybe you should go back to Seattle for the time being," Liam suggested. 

"No way, you're the resistance leader and I'm a resistance cell leader. Where you go I go!" Hayley protested. 

* * *

"So did you have fun?" Derek asked her and she grinned mischievously at him. 

"You know I always enjoy myself with you darling," she crooned at him as she played with the curls at the nape of his neck. Derek knew there wasn't a point to arguing about what he meant. He knew she knew exactly what he was talking about. He also knew that Roarke was the kind of woman who could debate you to the death and still win. He'd seen her with her friend Mike trading insults and he had only lasted five minutes before begging off. She had an agile mind that seemed able to come up with something at a moment's notice. More than once it had saved them at least embarrassment from being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She could spin a tale about little green men and sea monsters and have you believing every bit and asking for more. 

"Any idea what Caros is up to?" he asked. 

"Not a one, but you can bet it's based on one theme. He wants to control and rule all that ever was and that includes earth. Anything or anyone that furthers that cause is useful and expendable," she explained. 

"You seem to be an object of obsession for him." 

"Interest more than obsession, I'd say. He sees me as a pet rather than anything of importance. Men have a mistress and a wife. I'd be the wife, the nagging shrew who grows old and uninteresting, while if a mistress gets bothersome she can be replaced easier and less expensively then a wife," she explained. 

"Don't think much of marriage do you?" he teased. 

"The people who raised me for most of my formative years divorced when I was ten. From what I can remember before that they argued and that's all they did," she answered quietly. 

"Some marriages actually work." 

"Like your parents?" she asked. 

"Well in its way, it did." He laughed quietly at the thought of his parent's marriage being considered a happy one. "I'm not saying happy couples don't argue. It's those who pretend they're not arguing or who never argue that scare me. If you're screaming at your mate, at least you're communicating even if it's insults. They said they stayed together for the kids, but if you ask me it makes it worse. After they divorced, things were at least quieter if not better. They even ended up having a twisted version of what normal people would call friendship. They stopped using me as the Western Union boy of insults." 

Karen snuggled closer to him as they danced. "Who says just because our....parents couldn't do it that we wouldn't beat the odds?" he asked. 

"Not with my luck," she replied. 

* * *

Phillip sat waiting as Kristen paced worriedly in front of him. She stopped suddenly and Phillip looked up to see an older version of the man he knew as David Royce came towards him. "Phillip?" asked a puzzled David as he looked from her to Kristen in confused shock. 

"Hello, Royce," Phillip said with a grin. 

"What the hell is going on here?!" he asked stunned, then stumbled to a chair. 

"It's us, David," Kristen said quietly. 

"It's a long story," said Phillip. 

"With you guys it always is," he said in quiet resignation. 

"Do you think you can contact Rachel for us?" Kristen asked. 

"I think I can call my wife," he answered sarcastically, then looked sheepish at his burst of temper. 

"I completely understand," Phillip answered. 

"I'm glad someone does because I'm at a complete loss," said Royce. "Let's go back to my office where there isn't an audience." 

Royce led them back to an office that read 'Captain David Royce'. On his desk stood a wedding photo of Rachel looking as serene as Phillip had ever seen her as she stared up at David. A picture of Kat with her mom, and David wearing a graduation outfit. Kat at her wedding with a couple of young boys who had the same coloring she did. One sat on her lap and the other sat on the groom's, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Derek. 

'That's Thomas, Kat's husband, good man. The boys are mine and Rachel's, Patrick and John. If it hadn't for Patrick Corrigan dying, I wouldn't have Rachel in my life so I felt I owed him something. John was after my father but his middle name, on Rachel's insistence, was Nicholas; the same as Patrick's, Derek. If you're wondering, Frank retired to Arizona with his wife and the most danger he's in is a bad game of golf." Royce laughed. 

"I'm glad to hear that," said Phillip. 

"Nick's still on the island and he's married to Alex. Roarke was a tougher sale, but Derek finally got her to agree to wedded bliss. Of course, both have had family growth; Nick has the twins now and Derek...." he trailed off. "I'm babbling," he said embarrassed at his behavior. 

"It's all right Royce, really. We are here because we need a way to stop an evil and then get back to our time," he told David. 

"Your time?" he said as if it were the most normal thing in the world. 

"2001," said Kristen. 

"Time travel? I knew Roarke loved that stuff.... Never mind, anything I can do to help; I know Frank wouldn't mind," he replied. 

"We don't want to disturb Frank; right now we just need you to get a message to Derek. We'll explain what's happened and hopefully he'll be able to tell us how it worked out," said Phillip. 

"Should we do that Phillip? I mean, what happens if we change things because we know ahead of time what happened?" Kristen asked. 

"Now you bring that up?" said Phillip with a smile. 

"Well I know there is a woman here from the office in Texas. She's helping out on a case and I'm supposed to go with her to the island in a few minutes. Write out a note and I'll give it to Derek when we get there." He handed his global to Phillip. A knock sounded on the door and David waved a young woman in. "Mary Alice I'd...." Royce began. 

"I'm Phillip Graham and this is Kristen Lee," Phillip introduced them. He saw David's questioning look but didn't explain. 

"It's nice to meet ya," the woman said with a soft drawl. "I just came to get David for a meeting," she explained. Phillip and Kristen said their goodbyes and left. 

"Why did you lie about our names? I mean if she's been to the island she's probably met us," said Kristen. 

"Not necessarily, we could be retired or even dead." 

Kristen paled at the idea that she hadn't even considered. "Where to now?" 

"Back to Washington. I gave Derek the global number for Liam. We're going to need Liam to be able to talk to the current Derek." They walked towards a portal and Kristen stopped. "What's the matter?" he asked. 

"I....it's just these portals are so...." she trailed off. 

"I know it's not easy to accept you can go from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco in the time it takes to cross the street but we have to use it," he told her. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance before they stepped into the portal. He was freaked out too by the portals, but more important things crowded the fear out. 

* * *

"Liam?" Hayley shook him. "Liam?" 

"Hmm?" murmured Liam as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. 

"You fell asleep on me," she told him in an amused tone. 

"I'm sorry." He cleared his throat as he sat up straighter, embarrassed at having fallen asleep mid-conversation on her. 

"I can help you stay awake, but I think it would be better if you went to bed." 

"I'd rather go to bed with you," he told her and she kissed him. As Liam responded to the kiss, a noise caught their attention. 

"Sorry," said Kat when they looked up to find her trying to sneak back upstairs. 

"Can I get you something?" Liam asked. 

"I was hungry," she said as she stared down at the floor. 

"Come on, kiddo, we'll get you something to eat. Liam, can't you at least buy a girl dinner before you get her into bed?" Hayley teased him as she led Kat to the kitchen. 

The door opened and Alex came in on an avid conversation with Karen as Nick and Derek came in behind them. "Is there a problem?" asked Nick as he looked at Kat with a worried look. 

"Nope, the young lady was just hungry. We're going to have either a late dinner or early breakfast," Hayley told them. Liam introduced everyone. 

"Mind if I join?" asked Rachel as she came down the stairs wearing a t-shirt of Liam's. 

"She didn't have any clothes," he told Hayley as if that explained everything. 

"Only you would have a naked woman with a child show up at your place Kincaid," Hayley joked. 

"I guess we're having that meal after all," said Alex and Hayley smiled at her. 

"Well, I didn't say we wouldn't, I just said it wouldn't be right then." 

"What happened to your two friends?" Nick asked. 

"Don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers." Hayley had said it with a smile but there was something in her eyes that warned Nick off. 

"You know this waiting around is the worst part," said Alex. 

"I know what you mean," said Hayley, then blushed. "I mean, with Liam being in such a dangerous profession I worry," she covered. 

"Um, aren't we missing someone, in fact a couple of someone's?" asked Alex. 

"I noticed Phillip and Kristen weren't here but I assumed there was a good reason," said Rachel. 

"There was," said Phillip as he and Kristen came in. "You'll be pleased to know Frank and David are still alive. Frank has retired to Arizona, but Royce is still with the SFPD. I gave him a note to take to the island. If our current selves remember maybe they'll be able to help us," he explained. "By the way Rachel, Royce sends his love and told me to tell you he still cares," said Phillip with a hint of mischief which caused Rachel to blush furiously. 

"Did he and I....?" she asked. 

"No," said Karen. "I mean we have more important things to worry about," she said as Hayley looked at her strangely. 

"I take it whatever it is, isn't meant for my ears. I can leave," she offered. 

"No, Hayley, stay. I trust her with my life and you can trust her as well," Liam said. It warmed her to hear Liam defending her to these people. Derek nodded and Liam sat her down to explain to her what had happened since he'd met them. 

"Horton?" asked Derek when Liam had come to that part of the tale. 

"I didn't mention it because I assumed Roarke did," he explained. 

"No, Roarke didn't explain." Derek stressed each word. 

"It wasn't necessary because he was doing what he always was. He told Liam you were the bad guy and he had to join him to take you out," she explained. 

"I take it this Horton is trouble?" asked Hayley. 

"More then you'll ever know. He let Derek take up the habit of cliff diving," Roarke said with a wink at him. 

"Okay," Liam drawled out. "Never mind, I've gotten used to not even bothering to ask. It isn't the trouble that the explanation comes with." 

"Oh, I don't know, I didn't mind Derek's cliff diving," quipped Nick. 

"That's because you weren't doing it," said Derek as he worked his arm and rubbed his shoulder. 

"You didn't really cliff dive did you?" asked a stunned Hayley. 

"Off the cliff and into the San Francisco Bay about three years ago." 

"Horton was chasing him with the intent on doing him in. He had a choice between cliff diving or letting Horton put a bullet in him," Roarke said. 

"He tried," teased Derek as he put an arm around her waist. 

* * *

**PART 8**

"And I thought my life was interesting," Hayley said, stunned by what she was hearing. 

"'May you live in interesting times' is the old Chinese curse," replied Alex. 

"I'd like to meet the guy who cursed me," quipped Nick. 

"Look in the mirror Boyle," cracked Roarke with a grin. 

"Liam, why don't you finish your story before we end up with a fight of some sort between these troublemakers," suggested Rachel. 

"Hey, I don't have to stick around here and be insulted by you," Nick said with mischief. 

"Where do you usually go?" Alex and Karen said at the same time and laughed. 

" _Et tu_ Alex?" asked Nick with mock injury as he clasped his hand to his chest as if she'd shot him. 

"Knock it off you three," said Derek in a no-nonsense tone and then nodded at Liam to go on. 

Liam continued the story until he brought it up to the present. "What exactly are you guys?" 

Roarke and Derek looked at each other and he nodded to her. "From the dawn of time mankind has existed between the world of light, and the world of darkness. Our secret society has been here forever protecting others from the creatures who inhabit the shadows and the night. We have fought evil in all its supernatural forms, holding back the unholy powers that threaten to consume the world and destroy humanity. A secret society, we operate in every corner of the globe, forever vigilant in our cause. We are warriors....philosophers....scientists and the world's last hope against the darkness. Known only to the initiated by our true name. We are the LEGACY." 

"Always one for drama," said Nick and Karen tossed a balled up napkin at him. 

"We don't just have to worry about the Taelons then," said Hayley. 

"Worry about them?" said Karen. 

"What she means is we have people all around the world who are handling the other stuff so you don't need to worry yourself," said Phillip. 

"What I want to know about is this talent for magic Roarke didn't bother to inform us about," said Kristen with a hint of anger to her voice. 

"Kristen," Derek warned with a deathly cold tone. 

"No, Derek, she's right, I did keep secrets from you. I was born this way and there was....is nothing I can do about my gifts. After my abilities led to the death of a friend I swore never to use my talents again. When I did, Nick was injured...." Her voice grew extremely quiet and she lowered her eyes, unable to look at any of the people she thought of as family for fear of what she'd see in their eyes. 

"That's old history and doesn't matter; I'm sure Kristen knows that we all have our secrets or things we don't want to remember let alone share," said Nick. He placed a finger under her chin and drew it up so that her eyes were level with his. She tried to avert her eyes but Nick's firm hold on her chin kept her face in place and forced her to meet his eyes. "I love you as if you were a part of me. Do you understand that you're the kid sister I always wanted, but never got until I met you?" He smiled at her. 

"Nick Boyle, you could charm an Eskimo into buying ice." 

They all laughed, Nick drew her into a tight hug and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Do you two need a room?" asked Alex and they broke apart with Nick slinging an arm around Alex's waist. 

"So tell us the tale, Roarke," said Kristen. 

Derek got angry but Karen put a restraining hand on him. "Take a seat," she told them. 

"Centuries ago a civilization rose and made amazing leaps and bounds in many different fields. The civilization was known as Atlantis, they lived in harmony with the land and its other denizens." 

"Other?" asked Hayley. 

"There are forces that humans can't comprehend because their minds aren't advanced enough to understand it yet." 

"Gee thanks, we're just too primitive," Nick teased. 

"Not primitive, just not ready to deal with it yet. We all evolve at different rates and must learn to walk before you can run. Sensory overload is the best I can describe it and its been known to kill a person not strong enough to deal with it. I know of a girl who rushed and the sensory overload put her in a catatonic coma. She's alive but trapped inside her own mind and she may never find her way out." 

"Nasty," hissed Nick. 

"When humanity began to grow, Atlantis felt your ancestors would want but not understand the significance of Atlantis and its technology. They didn't want to be responsible for you blowing yourselves to kingdom come. When on a fact-finding mission they came into contact with the Eternals, or elves, as people today call them. Not the little guys everyone reads about in stories, in fact they're very similar to the Taelons." Liam sat up straighter with a doubtful look. "I mean tall, pale and an ethereal grace, but there are both boys and girls. Also, they're native to this planet not from out there." Karen pointed skyward. "One of the women of Atlantis met an Eternal and they found love. Their respective people were against them and their love but they were determined to be together. They succeeded and were married in a ceremony that honored both their people. 

"Tarok the Eternal and Sirah of Atlantis had children; their eldest, a son, showed gifts beyond either of their people. A high priestess known as the Ancient One took the child in her care and taught him to control his gifts. When the Council realized it was too dangerous to remain in contact with the outside world they pulled behind a veil, which hid them from humanity until they were ready to deal with what Atlantis had to offer. They sent out couples willing to live with humanity and watch for the moment they were ready to meet the destiny that awaited them. My ancestors were among those sent out. They knew that humans had potential and wanted to safeguard them for the time in the future when they would come into their inheritance. The children are always trained when they show signs of any talents. 

"Of course there are whole family lines that lose the gifts because of marrying too often into non-Atlantean bloodlines or failure to recognize and train those gifts. Derek and Alex's gift of sight as well as that of Kat's might mean an ancestor that came from Atlantis. Then again, it could be just what humanity had to offer. The Ancient One could foresee an evil that would one day threaten humanity and she took Tarok and Sirah's child to train him and his descendants for that one day. When the evil comes, a descendant of Tarok and Sirah's will face it. In the meantime, the Ancient One pushes the descendants toward others she knows will strengthen the line. They meet, fall in love, and have children with those like themselves, self-sacrificing, compassionate, brave, et cetera," Karen explained. 

"In other words, a hero or heroine who thinks of others before themselves like Derek?" said Phillip. 

Derek looked at her. "You were my choice, not hers, and there is never any need to doubt that. I had the right to refuse and if I hadn't cared for you I would have refused," she told him. "I was sent to protect the team during a particularly dangerous time. After it was over I was supposed to return home and take on my new mission. Problem was, after meeting you guys I was home and didn't want to leave my family. The Ancient One didn't give me an argument on it. She figured me working for her part-time was better then nothing. Besides, by working with you guys I was basically doing the same job anyway. I'll leave if you want me to?" she offered. 

"You're not going anywhere," insisted Alex as she took Karen's hand in hers. 

"Yeah, Shorty, you're sticking with your family," said Nick. 

"I'm not short!" she exclaimed and Nick laughed. "I'll have you know that I'm five foot four and a half, which is just right. I can't help it your mother was a redwood and your dad was Lurch." She swatted Nick. 

"Children, behave," said Derek in a low tone that despite the volume got their attention immediately. 

"If you don't want me here, I'll leave as soon as I get you home," Karen said. 

"Where you go I go, so if you leave then I will too." 

Karen ducked her head to hide the tears that threatened to fall. Derek placed his hand under her chin and brought her eyes level with his. "Always," he whispered and kissed her gently. 

"I guess we could use someone like you," said Kristen. Karen turned to look at the young blonde and saw she meant what she said about wanting Karen to stay. 

"Kristen...." Nick began leaping to Karen's defense. 

"Nick, don't. She's not a bad person, just at times a little abrasive." 

"I'm trying, but it's not easy to overcome years of training," Kristen said. 

"You built a way of protecting yourself and it's hard to accept the unconditional love these people offer because you're looking for loopholes or scams. No one ever loved you without wanting something. It's not always easy to find the good ones like Derek and these nutballs, but when you do hang on with everything you've got," she told Kristen. 

"I know what you mean," Hayley said as she looped her arm in Liam's and snuggled closer to him. 

"What about Caros?" asked Liam. 

"He is an Atlantean who believes that humanity is primitive and will never reach the point the Council is waiting for. He sees humanity as primitive and only good enough to be servants. He hates the idea of using resources on what he deems to be savages," Karen explained. 

"So he's basically like Zo'or, seeing anything unlike him as beneath him and useless except to worship him?" said Hayley. 

"Zo'or is a dictator, more from fear than anything else. The fear of dying, of his race no longer existing while one like humans survive. He hates the idea of losing, losing his race, himself into humans and his life most of all," Liam answered quietly. 

"He shouldn't fear death, it's nothing to be afraid of," Karen replied. 

"Especially seeing that even though Taelons' physical bodies may die but they don't. They're energy and will always exist in some form," Liam said flexing his hand and Hayley took the hand in hers. She hadn't been there but she'd heard what had happened. Ku'don had visited Liam and drafted him into helping him expose Zo'or's treachery. He'd burned Liam's hand with a symbol, as if marking his champion. The burn had been healed and even though the symbol was no longer imprinted on his hand, how it came about was forever imprinted on his soul. 

"We all have our own fears and personal demons we must overcome," said Nick as he stroked Alex's cheek. 

Liam sat up as if trying to shake off the melancholy feeling that had overcome him. "So the best we can hope for is that Caros is intent on controlling or destroying humanity. How? We have no idea, but if we wait long enough we may find out before he kills us." 

They talked a while more before finally deciding to turn in for the night. Nick picked up a sleeping Kat and carried her upstairs before he tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. "Night, Kitty Kat," he said affectionately before heading back downstairs. He said goodnight to Rachel and Alex as they headed upstairs. 

Nick caught the sleeping bag that Phillip tossed him and they settled in by Kristen, who was already in her sleeping bag. She lay on her side with a hand holding up her head looking for all the world like a little girl trying to pretend she wasn't tired. 

"Hey lady, want to share a sleeping bag?" came a teasing voice from behind Roarke. 

"Love to, but do you think we'll both fit?" she asked playfully. 

"Maybe if we laid on top of each other?" he offered as Derek took her into his arms and laid a kiss on her lips that set them afire. They kissed and then a throat clearing from behind caught their attention. 

"Boss, I thought the biology class started tomorrow," said Nick. Both Phillip and Kristen grabbed their pillows and smacked Nick with them. "Hey!" Nick protested as he held up his hand in an attempt to ward off their pillow attack. 

Liam laughed and Roarke was glad because she could see it in Hayley's eyes that she too thought he needed it. Derek and Liam were so alike in so many ways. Moody, broody types that took on a lot of the blame despite the fact that most of it didn't belong to them. They rarely let themselves laugh for the joy of it or had time to do so. "Children, if you're finished it's bedtime," Derek said. 

The others settled down and readied for bed as Roarke laid out her sleeping bag. Hayley said her goodbyes and left. As Liam turned back he found himself face to face with Derek. "Kincaid, you're a good man to have watching my back. I know you got thrown into this but I'm glad you're along for the ride," he said and Liam felt a sense of pride that a man like Derek Rayne considered him good enough to be backup. 

"Can we talk?" Derek asked, and Liam led him out onto the terrace. "Do you want to explain why your father is the same age as you?" 

"Derek...." he began. 

"I've lived with many a mystery and if you don't want to talk we don't need to." 

Liam gave him a look of gratitude. "About four years ago, my father worked as companion to a Taelon named Zo'or. Zo'or is basically an amoral psycho who wants the Taelon to survive at any cost; even the survival of the human race means nothing if the human race's death means the Taelons will live. My mother was the Companion to the British Companion until her death. The British Companion was in Washington where my parents met; mother was interested, but father was cautious. Despite feeling the same way, he denied it and tried to avoid mother's passes." Liam grinned. "A crew was doing some diving for a ship off the shore and found an interesting artifact. 

"It was a lifepod in which the Taelon's had deposited the last of the Kimeria. Kimerians are a species of shape-shifting anthropologists who would take the form of an individual to blend into the race they were studying. The person whose identity is taken is encased in a shell until the Kimerian stops using their identity. When released, they're a little confused but unharmed. The Kimerians saved the Taelon race from dying out and they responded by wiping out every last Kimerian except for Ha'gel. They placed him in the pod and launched him into space. The pod crash-landed into the ocean and the salvage crew found it buried under the ship they were sent to salvage. Unfortunately, one of the crew was a thief and returned with friends to rob the treasures uncovered by the crew. They opened the pod and released Ha'gel. 

"He gave saw it a necessity not to be the last Kimerian. Using the form of the thief, he tried to mate with a human female. Unfortunately, he was too much for the woman and killed her. Next he took on Sandoval's identity and ran into Siobhan Beckett, my mother. He mated with her and due to her CVI he didn't kill her but she was seriously hurt. During the mating Ha'gel not only transmitted his own DNA, but that of Sandoval as well. I have three parents and three DNA strands, I'm only two thirds human," Liam explained. "Shortly after the mating, Ha'gel was killed by a Companion Protector but Beckett had already been taken by the Resistance. They healed her and found out about me, they studied her for the nine hours it took her pregnancy to progress. Nine hours later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, me." Liam said quietly. 

"When they realized I was normal, they relaxed but they did reprogram my mother's CVI to forget about the Resistance, their headquarters, and me. If she remembered, her CVI would implode inside her head. The CVI was originally implanted in Companion Protectors because it enhanced our abilities. Recognition, memory and so forth, it took a special kind of person to agree to merge with a sentient life form that the Taelons had reengineered as a weapon. Siobhan wanted Ireland to be peaceful and happy so that children, hopefully to include hers, could grow up with smiles and fond memories; not bombings, gunplay or possibly not growing up at all. She accepted the offer to be implanted to help improve her people's quality of life. Augur and Lily took me on as a foster child. But not for long since I had Ha'gel's DNA, I grew rapidly." 

Derek gave him a look that made Liam smile. "The doctor helped birth me and then handed me to her assistant to weigh and so forth. As soon as the assistant put me down on the table to clean and such I morphed into a four year old. Testing followed because the head of the Resistance was concerned about what kind of threat I represented. Augur and Lily looked after me why the other adults decided my fate. Another morphing took place and I went from four to how you see me now all at once. My body appears as a man in his thirties but I'm really only four years old. I get along by using my three parents' memories. Kimerians are close kin to Taelons and according to my companion, Taelons are born fully aware of their parents memories. A kind of racial memory but accessible or in my case somewhat accessible. 

"The Resistance leader feared because I was close to Taelons due to Ha'gel that I might also be part of the commonality. Centuries ago, the Atavus broke apart and became two different species. One side was Taelon and the other was Jaridian. The Jaridians are closer to humans in personality than the Taelons. The Taelons agreed to a commonality where each member of the race was linked mentally to all the others. They denied a part of themselves that the Jaridians had no problem accepting," explained Liam. He reached out his hands in front of him and placed the palms face up. Derek was stunned as the palms of Liam's hands began to glow eerily with a white blue light. " _Shakaquva,_ they've been used as weapons, to heal, and for sharing more intimate things." The last part Derek could have sworn seemed to make the young Companion Protector to blush. 

"So you're two-thirds human and one-third alien life form?" Derek said quietly. 

Liam refused to meet his eyes. "Sandoval doesn't know about me. He knows he has a son out there somewhere." Liam waved his hand out towards the city. "He just doesn't know he sees him daily at work or that he considers him an enemy." 

There was a sadness in the man's body that told Derek he probably wasn't looking at Derek because of the emotion he was most likely feeling and didn't want to share with anyone just yet. "Your parents never will know that they're your parents?" asked Derek unable to accept the fact. He had his difficulties with his parents, especially his father, but at least they knew they were his parents. 

"Beckett knew....just before she died. Her CVI was beginning to break down and we had to find her before it did. I found her shortly before Sandoval found us. Beckett climbed when she needed to think. Her CVI was breaking down and that meant the motivational imperative with it. The Taelons put in an imperative so that the Protectors would think of the Taelons first even if it meant their own lives." His lip curled in disgust at the thought and Derek didn't blame him. Messing with some guy's head after he agreed to help you was just plain wrong. "Beckett had been climbing and her foot slipped....she fell and cracked her head on the rock wall. Her line broke under the stress and she crashed to the cave floor. When I found her she'd been lying there for a while. She was dying and I wanted to get her to a doctor but she refused. Beckett deserved the truth and besides she was dying, so I saw no problem with telling her who I really was. 

"She was overjoyed and told me she was proud of me. That her little boy would never be without her. If I needed her, all I had to do was look skyward and she'd send a star to guide me. I would loved to have had a normal childhood but I guess it wasn't meant to be," said Liam. 

"I know the feeling," answered Derek. Liam gave him a confused look. "Nothing like you of course, but my father intended me to succeed him and so he began to train me from birth to become a Precept, preferably for the San Francisco house of which he was the Precept at the time. When I was fifteen, my father and I were in Peru during my school holiday. He was killed there by a fallen angel and I never got a chance to tell him I didn't mean it when I told him I hated him. I recaptured the fallen angel in the sepulcher and then went to my father. 

"His last words were 'The burden is yours'. He handed me his Precept's ring and died in my arms. We're alike in not having a great relationship with our fathers, but we always have our mothers." Derek gave him a comforting smile. 

"I didn't have long with Siobhan....my mother, but what I did was wonderful," Liam replied. 

"My mother is a wonderful woman who raised my sister and me after my father died. She stood by and watched as her son joined the same organization that took her husband from her. She claimed on one occasion she wasn't surprised by my decision to join because I, and I quote her, 'Are so much like your father'." Derek chuckled and Liam joined him, letting some of the grief about his mother to wash away in the companionship of a kindred spirit. 

"Will you tell the others about me?" asked a worried Liam. 

"I'll keep your secret, but somehow I get the feeling that Roarke already knew everything about you. She has that skill and it annoys the hell out of me. It makes her a real pain in the ass when every time you try to explain something to her she not already knows but she can update you on it." Derek laughed. 

"I've noticed that about her so why do you not only work with her but are involved romantically?" 

"She is a pain in the ass, but she's also one hell of a woman. Fierce, loyal, independent and absolutely dedicated. She's a whirlwind of energy that my life did, and still does, need badly. It's what makes me, despite the debits, continue to be with her. You know what I mean, being a Companion Protector involved with a Resistance member." His words shook Liam as he hadn't been aware Derek was so observant. 

"Yeah, I guess we both like our woman with a little danger." Liam smiled at what Hayley would do if she heard them talking like they were. "I don't mind Roarke knowing because I'm sure she'll keep my secret and I trust you to do so," said Liam. 

"Does anyone else know?" 

"Lily, Augur, Hayley, and Renee are the only living people aside from Doctors Belman, Curzon and Parks who alternate as my physician." 

"The old Resistance leader did know but he's dead and so is Bec...my mother. Abigail, a reporter I knew once found out when I had to use...." Liam raised his hands. "She agreed though to pass up the acclaim for exposing me and destroyed the tape of the incident that exposed me to her. So far, so good, no one has knocked on my door to arrest me and drag me off to a lab somewhere." 

"My team and my mother and sister know about the Legacy. The only other people who know are Legacy members and two San Francisco police detectives who worked with our Legacy house on cases," Derek responded. 

"Two men who enjoy dangerous women and keep secrets," said Roarke and both men spun around to face her. 

"How long have you been there?" asked Liam, but Derek knew it was pointless. 

"Time, like everything else in life, is subjective and it's all a matter of each person's perspective and opinion," said Roarke. 

"Stop with the riddles!" Liam said angrily. 

"Life is a riddle, Kincaid, it's up to us to figure it out. We all have our own destiny. I don't even know what it is. Why you were sent back in time to us or we were brought forward. Hell, I don't even know what Fate wanted in introducing Caros into my life." 

"Marion Zimmer Bradley....you really should read her work, it's great. She said life will go as it will and not as we would have it. If it helps, think of life like a sentient creature even more of a pain in the ass then Zo'or." Derek chuckled. 

"Great," groused Liam. 

"Make the best of it. Garth Brooks said, 'I could have missed the pain but then I would have to have missed the dance'. The dance meaning life, the pain is what makes us understand how important the good stuff is. If you hadn't known Beckett was your mom until after she died, would you have felt the same? Even if she didn't know you did and for a few brief months you knew how important it was to make her a part of your life. You'll always remember her scent and the way she laughed. It's a part of you. Hell, you'll even know things she didn't tell you and be able to understand it from her perspective. 

"If anything, you're better off than most folks who have only what their minds made of what their parents, teachers, and so, on taught them. You have a better understanding of your parents, even if you never access those memories of your parents. You're lucky Liam, even if you don't know it. Beckett may be gone from this plane of existence, but you still have her in two places, here." Karen touched Liam's forehead. "And here." She touched his heart. "That's all the most of us have, I've had people I would love to still have here. Before Nick got involved with Alex he was engaged to Julia Walker, Alex's best friend. She died and I was sent in to replace her. I'm sure for some time, and when he really wants to kick himself, Nick wishes she were still here. I know Alex would love to have her friend back to gossip and giggle with. 

"I would do anything to bring her back if it meant one less thing to weigh on Derek's heart. I know we've told him but he never listens anyway, it wasn't his fault she died." Karen held up a hand silencing Derek's protests. "You did your job and Julia knew the odds of dying on the job, but she still chose to go, Derek. You made a decision and she could have said no or demand you stay together. Hate the job and hate the demon that killed her, but know there is no reason to hate yourself. You didn't rape and murder her. Fate had that destiny in store for her and no matter what you did you wouldn't have changed it. I figure Fate wanted to rededicate Nick or someone to the cause. What better way than having the cause steal what you love most? Make you believe you have to fight for revenge or so no one else hurts the way you do. 

"I don't know, but I'm going to bed, this deep thinking has pooped me out." She kissed Derek and Liam's cheeks and then left. 

Liam left out a breath. "Is she always like that?" 

"Tiring isn't it?" Derek laughed. 

"Damn straight!" Liam answered as he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the night sky. 

"Roarke loves looking at the stars and wondering. I guess she can stop wondering now." Liam lifted a questioning eyebrow at Derek. "ET, aliens have always fascinated her. Knowing her she and Ha'gel would have gotten along swimmingly," Derek said. 

"I should get her and Da'an together before you head for home," Liam said. "Want a beer?" 

"Wouldn't mind one." Before either man could rise though Roarke returned and handed them each a bottle of beer. 

* * *

**PART 9**

"Knock it off!" complained Derek. 

Roarke giggled and kissed him. "You know you love it you tease," she quipped. "Night, junior," she said ruffling Liam's hair as she went by. 

"Knock it off with the junior stuff, shorty," he taunted. She scrunched up her face and strode into the apartment with a noise that sounded like a mother humoring her child. 

Liam and Derek sat in companionable silence drinking and talking when they felt like it. "Do you think our lives will ever be just....normal?" asked Liam. 

"To quote my lovely companion 'what do you consider normal?'" Derek smiled mischievously. "I knew from the beginning that my life would never be normal as in two kids, a car, and so forth. I was born for one purpose and that was to follow my father's footsteps in fighting evil and protecting the innocent." 

"Wish I had that kind of reason, Sandoval isn't exactly the best role model, and Siobhan....she wanted to unite Ireland to make it safe for the children....child that she never got to see grow up." Liam's eyes seemed far away, too far for even Derek to reach. A few moments later his eyes refocused and he returned. "As for Ha'gel I'm not sure what he wants, let alone follow in his footsteps. I can only look at what memories I can access and make my own judgment on what's right." 

"That's all we can do, Kincaid. Even with role models, good parenting and so on, the only thing we can depend on is our judgment. In the end it's up to us to make the choice for the direction that our lives will go and deal with the consequences good or bad." 

"You'd make a good dad and I can only hope I can do as well when it's my turn," replied Liam. 

"Somehow Major, I think you'll succeed where others have failed," Derek reassured him. 

"Why haven't you and Roarke had children yet?" 

"I've been a father six times already, you just happened to arrive on the scene when the kids were at their grandmother Barbara's in Amsterdam." 

"Six kids?! You and Roarke have six kids together?!" 

"Five....Roarke and I have five children together. Our eldest is being raised elsewhere but the four younger ones are Christian, Ayla, Daniel and Dylan." 

"Five?" asked a confused Liam. 

"My eldest son Lucas is dead. He and his mother Lauren were killed....they are dead." Derek finished with a finality and tension lingered between the two men. 

"You lose a son and I lose my parents. We're a sorry pair aren't we?" Liam said with a chuckle and Derek laughed as well easing the tension. 

"We'd better get to bed since tomorrow will probably be an early day," Derek said as he stood. 

"I know it'll be for me. Whenever I have to deal with Zo'or it seems the day goes on forever." Liam laughed. 

"I get the feeling this Zo'or is no different from any petty dictator that ever graced earth. If history is any sign, he'll go the same way they all did." 

"If we're lucky," replied Liam. 

Derek headed in but Liam stayed out on the terrace. Arms wrapped around his waist, he smiled as he took Hayley's hand in his and brought it up to his lips before kissing it. 

"Your friend's are interesting," she murmured against his back. 

"I happen to think a certain blonde resistance fighter is much more interesting," he replied as he pulled her around him and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her to his chest. 

"Liam!" She giggled as he nuzzled her neck and rubbed her back with his broad, strong hands. 

  
"We got a call from Royce and the current Precept of the house is willing to send someone to meet with us," said Alex to Rachel as she closed the global and accepted the cup of coffee Rachel offered her. 

"Current?" asked Rachel. 

"Royce isn't willing to tell us if it's still Derek because there is some concern about corrupting the timeline," Alex explained. 

"Will David....I mean...." Rachel trailed off. 

"Yes, Royce will be coming with the representative just so we can be assured that the person isn't a dark side troublemaker." 

"If you want, I can see to it that some resistance members are there as backup?" offered Hayley as she came into the kitchen. 

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Rachel. 

"Actually, it's an excellent idea. We know we can trust Hayley and she trusts whomever she picks so we can too. We're out of our element so we need someone to trust," said Alex. 

"As long as they understand that it's up to us to decide if any shooting happens," said Rachel. 

"Of course, you're the best ones to judge whether or not violence is needed. I'll explain that it's a private meeting of importance where you're in charge." Hayley responded. 

"Are you ladies making plans without us?" teased Nick. 

"Royce said he'll meet us with the San Francisco house representative and Hayley's offered to provide some security backup," Alex explained. 

"Great idea, I was worried that I would have to handle all the security," Nick replied. 

"Well, let's discuss the arrangements," Hayley said as she stuck a piece of freshly buttered toast in Nick's mouth as he opened it to respond. 

"Hell, if you feed me I do anything you want," Nick answered. 

"Just be careful because once you feed him you can't get rid of him," teased Alex. Nick smeared butter on her nose and she squealed; he kissed her before going into the living room with Hayley. 

"Where's Liam?" asked Karen as she came into the kitchen. The person in question walked into the room just as she finished asking the question. He wore well fitting blue jeans and was bare-chested as he rubbed a towel over his wet hair. 

"I hope the shower wasn't too cold, Kat has a habit of lingering," Rachel apologized. 

"Freezing but it was actually a good thing because I'm definitely wide awake now." He smiled warmly at her. 

"I'm sorry," Rachel said sheepishly. 

"It's okay, really." 

"Well, your state of dress isn't. It's enough to make me wonder if two really are better," teased Alex and Rachel swatted her as Rachel's face flushed. 

Karen _tsked_ as she grinned at Alex. "Can I help it if his momma had a good recipe?" she asked mischievously. 

"Recipe?" he asked. 

"Genetic recipe, she's trash talking about your bod," Karen explained. 

"Trash nothing," Alex said and licked her lips in a manner that left no doubt what was on her mind. 

"You've been with Nick too long and he's infected you," said Karen. 

"Running a fever?" asked Rachel and Alex turned away from Rachel's hand with a grin. 

"The boy is fine and I dare you guys to deny it," Alex challenged. 

"Stay away from my man, woman," teased Hayley as she entered the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Liam's broad chest. 

"Hey look, Blondie, if she and Liam hook up you've always got me," offered Nick. 

"Gee thanks," Hayley quipped as a grin spread across her face. 

"Caddy?" Alex asked and then looked at Rachel. 

"I have to admit the Major is an excellent specimen," Rachel said almost too quiet to be heard. Alex laughed as Rachel blushed furiously at the smile Liam directed towards her. 

"Second finest," said Karen. 

"You haven't seen Derek naked and I have." She winked lecherously at them. "I mean I knew those clothes, though form fitting, held all kinds of sins and I was right. You'd think with that finely muscled chest and arms that he'd have skinny legs or knobby knees but not my boy. Fine from head to toe, a one word description would be Adonis." She grinned at them. 

"Karen?!" Derek called and entered the room only dressed in a towel. "Where are my clothes?" 

"Nope, not knobby at all," said Hayley and Derek drew the towel tighter against his body. 

"Put them in the laundry, they should be ready in a few minutes," she answered before popping a piece of orange into her mouth. 

"I need clothes now," he complained. 

"Really. I rather like this particular suit your wearing," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"Suit?" asked Liam. 

"Birthday suit, Liam." Hayley grinned and poked him in the ribs gently with her elbow. 

"I think I may have something you can wear," said Liam as he left, followed by Derek. 

Derek and Liam returned a few minutes later with Derek dressed in some of Liam's trademark black clothing. "Nice." Roarke grinned and Derek grabbed her around the waist and gave her a kiss on the head. 

"We'd better get going before Royce wonders where we are," said Derek. They strapped on their weapons and grabbed jackets before heading out the door. 

"Be careful," warned Karen, Derek kissed her gently. 

"We'll watch out for trouble," Derek replied. 

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him," said Nick. 

Hayley, Phillip, Derek, Nick and Kristen headed out to the meeting place. "I'd better get going, Da'an's expecting me at the embassy in an hour. If you need anything just call me and I'll be right back," Liam said. 

"I think us poor defenseless women can handle being bored out of our minds and worried sick over our men and what they're doing," responded Roarke. 

"Hayley will take care of them, she's very good at the sneaky stuff," Liam grinned mischievously. 

"Get to work, Major," Karen said with a playful swipe at him. She saw Liam off and closed the door behind him before returning to the kitchen to commiserate with Rachel and Alex. 

"Where's Kat?" she asked. 

"Upstairs watching....TV since she doesn't have school. I don't know if we'll be here long enough to make it matter," explained Rachel. "Besides, if I enroll her in a school that's twelve years ahead, Kat would probably be held back. I know she wouldn't like going to school and feeling like she was the dumb kid." 

"Kat will be fine, don't worry Rachel," Alex reassured her. 

"I can't stand this!" hissed Karen frustrated at the waiting. 

"I know but there isn't anything we can do about it but sit and wait," said Alex. 

"I know and that's the part I hate the most. I never had much patience, and knowing Derek is out there without me worries me." 

"It happens to all of us at one time or another," Rachel answered. 

"I'm just as worried if not more about Nick. Unlike Derek, he's a bit impulsive and more likely than the others to get himself into trouble that he can't get out of," said a worried Alex. 

  
Derek and Phillip watched Nick pace anxious to have the meeting begin. Derek placed a restraining hand on Nick's arm as he tensed, Nick looked up to see a man headed his way with David Royce. Despite the fact that he was about to meet total strangers in an alley, he didn't seem uneasy. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to pierce right a person through to their soul. There was also something familiar about the man. 

"Derek Rayne?" he asked, appraising Derek with a look very similar to the one Derek was using on him. 

"Yes?" he asked hesitantly. 

"It's a pleasure, I'm Thomas Roarke," he introduced himself. 

The identity of the man rocked Derek to his core but he quickly recovered and masked any noticeable reaction to the man's name. "Nick Boyle, Phillip Callahan, Kristen Adams and Hayley Simmons, this is Thomas Roarke, the Precept of the San Francisco house," he introduced them. 

Nick looked stunned and rocked back on his heels as Phillip looked at Derek questioningly. Thomas just grinned as he took Hayley's hand and bowed over it in a courtly manner as he kissed it. "A pleasure to meet such exquisite ladies who, not only are beautiful, but smart and strong as well." He then kissed Kristen's hand and turned back offering his hand to Nick. "Mr. Boyle and Mr. Callahan, you are legends in my house." 

They each shook hands with him and then he offered his hand to Derek. Derek took it in his grasp and was pleased to find his grip was strong, yet gentle. "It's a pleasure to meet my successor and it was also a pleasure to meet your wife." He smiled mischievously at Thomas. 

Thomas' eyes seemed to hold an answering gleam of mischief. "Ah, my lovely wife is always a pleasure." The others knew something was going on, but they couldn't tell what. "Unfortunately, I'm unable to tell you what happened in the past without the concern that we'd change it. I can however offer my house at your service for anything else," Thomas told them. 

"The usual bull," Nick grumbled. 

"Unfortunately, some of us at times are forced to put on the hip-waders and start shoveling." Thomas grinned. 

"Just what I need, a funny Precept," Nick grumbled in reply. 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Boyle, if I'm treading on your territory," Thomas teased him. "I've brought what I could from the archives and I hope it's enough to defeat Caros once and for all," Thomas said and Nick had a feeling if things were different he and Thomas would be good friends. He handed a data clip to Augur, who had met them in the alley with Hayley's people in tow. 

He gave a low whistle as he scrolled through the information he was reading. "Hayley?!" he asked and Hayley gave him a look that told him to keep it to himself. Hayley had, with the agreement of Derek, filled Augur in on the Legacy but her people providing security had no knowledge of what the meeting was about. She knew they'd keep quiet but the importance of this information couldn't be spread around except where absolutely necessary. The more people outside the Legacy who knew about it, the better the chance that the Legacy would be exposed. 

"So, Ms. Simmons, I understand that you were behind the raid a couple of nights ago," said Thomas. 

She grabbed his arm and drew him aside. "How did you know about that?!" she hissed quietly, realizing if he hadn't known her slip up had just confirmed it. 

"You may not know me since I'm from San Francisco, but I'm sure you know my counterpart here in Washington, D.C. Michael Foster." 

Hayley gasped in shock, unable to stop it from happening and then blushed. "Your counterpart?!" she asked stunned. 

"Surely you know Foster is the Washington, D.C., Precept?" he asked, slightly puzzled. 

"I know that he's a resistance member and has helped our people on more than one occasion. You mean he's also Legacy?" 

"The Legacy has been secret since the second century, Ms. Simmons, and plans on keeping itself secret for many more centuries, but we have the a job to defend mankind against evil be it man made, supernatural or aliens from outer space. The Taelons may appear to be kind and generous, but my mother always taught me never to look a gift horse in the mouth because while your busy staring at his mouth his hooves will kick you, causing great pain." 

Hayley laughed. She realized it felt good to laugh after not having done so for so long. Being the savior of the world didn't leave a person much time for relaxation. Hayley watched as Derek and Nick discussed something with a passion. Apparently, Nick didn't like the idea of working with Thomas Roarke, but for some reason Derek was just as passionately behind working with him. 

"Derek, I know you and there is something more going on here," Nick said. 

"I know the man." 

"When? Where?" he asked, confused. 

"Nick, let's just say we have a mutual friend who leaves me no doubt that I can trust him with everything. He's as close as....family," Derek said with a strange undercurrent to his voice. It sent a shiver down his spine but it also left Nick without a doubt that Derek was right to trust Roarke. 

"Everything decided?" asked Roarke from behind Hayley, causing her to jump. She'd been unaware he was right behind her and was glad for the hands he placed on her shoulders to steady her. 

"Kat!" Roarke suddenly yelled and took off at a run with the others following. Nick saw a short way down the street a young blonde fighting off four men and as they came closer, saw it was the older version of Rachel's daughter that had been at the earlier meeting. Nick grabbed a guy around the throat and choked him as a second man came towards him. 

Thomas pointed a gun in the man's ear. "I wouldn't. I haven't had my daily kill today and I'd hate for your death to be too quick," he hissed. Nick lost his hold on the guy he had because he saw something in Thomas Roarke's eyes that he swore made him positive he was looking at a young Derek. 

The men ran and Nick started after them but Thomas put a restraining hand on Nick's chest. "They're just errand boys and they'll make sure my message gets relayed," he told Nick with a tone that Derek had used before with him. 

"Thomas! Don't you ever scare me like that again," Kat said as she smothered him in affectionate kisses. 

He put away the gun and took Kat into his arms. "Nonsense, my little Xena, you had no reason to fear for my safety. You were just angry that I didn't let you beat them all to a pulp." He laughed and then nuzzled her neck. 

She squealed and swatted him playfully. "You never let me have any fun," she complained with a pout but her eyes held amusement. 

"It's good to see you again, Katherine," said Derek and Kat turned to Derek giving him a very affectionate hug and then a peck on the cheek. 

She did the same to Nick and Phillip before turning back to Derek. "You don't know how badly I wanted to do that the first time I laid eyes on you guys," she said enthusiastically. 

"How did you know she was in trouble?" asked Kristen. 

"A gift...." Thomas began. 

"From your mother," said Derek with a knowing look. He and Thomas exchanged a look that seemed to say everything but Nick had the feeling he'd been left out of the conversation. 

"Tom and I are telepathically linked to each other. When we married we did it by the ancient ways as well as the more current practices," said Kat. 

"Ancient as in older than dust is my guess," teased Nick. 

"Ancient even in those times, Mr. Boyle," responded Thomas. 

"Nick. Anyone who marries my little kitty Kat is entitled to call me Nick." 

"Nick it is, and I'd love to invite you to the house for dinner as a thank you for helping save my _dalshaymaya_ ," he told them. 

"Dalshay....what?" asked Nick. "It's Russian and means 'my little soul'," Derek answered. 

"A gift....from my father," Thomas responded and grinned mischievously at Derek. Thomas took Kat to the side and spoke quietly to her. 

"Russian?" Nick asked. 

"It's my nickname for Roarke during romantic times," Derek explained. 

"Wow, the boss is romantic and I thought he lived only to fight evil," Nick teased. 

"And to smack around smart mouthed ex-SEALs," Derek replied as a corner of his mouth went up in an attempt at a grin. 

"We'd be happy for you to meet the current house members," said Kat. 

"Ms. Simmons, you're welcomed to come as well, but your associates...." he trailed off. 

"I understand, no one but those in on the secret." 

"Perhaps we can have your mother meet us there," Derek suggested. 

Thomas smiled mysteriously, "Always thinking aren't you, _papo_?" Thomas answered and Derek was shaken but didn't show it. _Papo_ was from an ancient language Roarke had taught him. Roarke had taught him that the word _papo_ meant father. 

Hayley dismissed her people and they headed for the nearest portal. They stepped through and moments later they were in San Francisco overlooking the pier where the ferry left for Angel Island. 

"Wow!" said Nick. 

"I'll never get used to that," said Kristen. 

"Derek!" called Karen and came over to him only to stop a few steps away when she spotted Thomas. 

"Hello, mother," he said and kissed her on the cheek. 

"Thomas?!" her eyes brimmed with tears but she refused to allow them to fall. She put a hand on each of his cheeks and smiled waveringly before drawing him into a hug. 

"Caddy?" said Derek after a while and she pulled back wiping the tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands. 

"You've grown," she quipped. 

"Kids do that when you're not looking," he responded. 

"Why don't we get to the island?" suggested Kat, trying to defuse the emotional situation. 

"Why don't we portal?" asked Hayley ignoring the look Kristen threw her. 

"There aren't any portals on the island," Thomas said with finality. They headed down to the ferry dock and boarded the ferry. 

"It's beautiful here," sighed Hayley and Liam wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They arrived at a house that looked as if it were a castle transplanted from Europe. 

As Kat opened the door a young woman came striding angrily down the stairs. "Elizabeth Rose Boyle, you get back here!" demanded a young man over the railing. 

"Get stuffed, Rayne!" she yelled and took off a shoe, throwing it at the young man's head. He ducked and then jumped over the railing and slid down the banister arriving at the bottom of the stairs before she did. 

"Boyle, so help me...." he said in a threatening manner. 

"You're right there, you do need help," she replied sarcastically. 

"Children we have guests," said Thomas in a distinct Derek tone and the two feuding people turned to see they had an audience. 

"Christ?!" said Alex and headed over to him. 

"Aunt Alex!" he responded with glee and threw his arms around her. "Discipline her!" he demanded like a petulant schoolboy as he pointed at the young woman he'd been fighting with. 

"Discipline me?!" she said in disbelief. "She's my mother!" she complained. 

"Mother?!" Nick asked puzzled. 

"Daddy!" the young woman squealed with delight and hugged Nick. 

Nick wrapped his arms around the tall young woman with dark brown ringlets like Alex and green eyes like Nick's. "Leave the man alone," said a dark haired young man who left the library with a willowy blonde, who Derek noticed had a slightly rounded stomach. 

"Ayla." Derek smiled and the girl brightened at the sight of him. 

"Father!" she exclaimed with glee and hurried to Derek, throwing her arms around him. 

"Something you need to tell dear old dad?" he teased as he placed his hand gently on her stomach. His eyes widened with delight as he felt a swift kick. 

"Connor!" yelled another feminine voice and down the stairs scurried a naked three-year-old. 

"Whoa, partner, no flashing allowed," Christ joked as he swung the boy up into his arms. A flustered young woman came downstairs and wrapped a towel about the boy before blowing a strand of hair out her eyes and peeling a soaking wet sweat shirt from her torso. 

"I'm so sorry, Bethany," said Kat, taking the boy and quietly but gently scolding him as she took him upstairs. She stopped halfway up and turned with a smile. She whispered in the boy's ear and he grinned. 

"Grandma Rachel, we go beddy bye?" he asked. 

"Well how about it mom, want to help this streaker get to bed?" joked Kat. 

"I'd love to," Rachel said, when she reached them she bent to the little boy's level and said. "Hi, I'm your grandma Rachel, so your name is Connor?" 

"Connor Patrick Roarke, you can see my sister Ruth but you have to be quiet because she's sleeping." He put his finger in front of his lips and made a _shh_ ing noise. Rachel's eyes teared up. "You named him after your father and brother and your daughter after my mother?" 

"Ruth Karen is three months old and as much trouble as her brother," Kat said with a maternal smile that said she was bursting with pride over her children. They headed upstairs after Kat threw Thomas a questioning look, but he let her know he it was okay for Rachel to go but Derek and Karen should stay with him. 

"I have two grandchildren? I feel ancient," Karen said. 

"You'll never be ancient, mother." Thomas kissed her gently on the cheek. 

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing," she teased him. 

"Actually, three mom," Ayla patted her belly. 

"Speaking of kids, where's the father?" said Nick. 

"Trying to work in this lunatic asylum," Luc Deveruax said as he leaned against the library door. He was shirtless and wearing running shorts and sneakers. Hayley barely held back her gasp at the sight of his chest. Despite her being totally in love with Liam, this man had a chest that could make a blind woman see. She didn't think it was possible to have such a chest without a lot of work and becoming the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger. His chest and arms were well-defined muscles that she didn't think were humanly possible. 

"Work? In that outfit?" asked James. 

"Yeah we get a lot of work done," teased Ayla as she took Luc's arm with hers. 

"Watch it, that's how you got into your condition in the first place," James teased. 

"Watch it brother, or I'll swift kick you," Elizabeth Boyle said as she took a swipe at her brother. 

"Shall we?" Thomas asked and they followed him into the living room. "You've met Luc and Ayla Deveruax, James and Elizabeth Boyle, and Christian Rayne. This is Bethany Carlyle our newest addition," he introduced the others to Derek and his house as well as Liam and Hayley. Luc sat on a chair and pulled on a t-shirt just before Ayla made herself comfortable in his lap. Elizabeth sat on one edge of the couch and Christ sat at the other end and threw each other angry looks before looking away. 

"Trouble in paradise?" asked James as he sat between them. They both swatted him in the head before returning to their side of the couch and James laughed. 

"Father?" Thomas held out a chair. "Caddy?" He offered her the chair and after she sat stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, sir," said Luc as he gently rubbed Ayla's back. Derek could tell Luc was blissfully happy and that he couldn't wait for the birth of his first child. Ayla may have looked like her mother with her maternal grandmother's coloring, but she was Derek's daughter. She smiled at him with a look that promised everything but said nothing. She and Thomas were good at controlling their emotions and what they revealed to others. 

"Is Daniel here?" asked Karen with a small grin. 

"Danny's studying for his finals upstairs. I can get him if you want me to?" offered Christ. 

"No I doubt want to interrupt him," she said, a little disappointed. 

"Don't worry, mother, your little angel is fine," Christ told her. 

"Angel? More like a devil who's hell on wheels like Jimmy here," Elizabeth said. 

"They're definitely partners in crime," replied Christ. 

"Make that a walking disposal," said Ayla. Ayla pointed and they turned to see Daniel walking by eating a very large sandwich. 

"Yo Danny," called Christ. The young blonde boy wiped his face with his sleeve as he turned to the others. 

"Daniel have you forgotten what a napkin's for?" asked Karen. 

"Mom?!" he said, a bit garbled as he was speaking around the sandwich he'd been chewing. He stopped, chewed and swallowed before putting his sandwich on the table, which caused Derek to wince since Dominic had taken great pride on how well he had run the house making sure everything was pristine. 

"Danny!" Ayla complained and picked up the soggy sandwich as he turned to see what his sister was angry about. 

"I keep telling him to put it on a plate," said Bethany as she took the sandwich from Ayla and left the room. Derek looked at the young boy, no, correction, young man standing in front of him. He was at least six feet tall and had blue eyes behind a pair of steel rimmed glasses. 

He ruffled the boy's blonde hair. "You need a haircut," he teased Daniel. 

"I'll get one when you get one, Dad," he replied playfully. 

"He's right Derek, you do need a cut too," said Karen. 

"Is something wrong?" asked Elizabeth and Karen saw Alex was staring at Elizabeth and James. 

"I'm sorry, but you...." She trailed off not sure how to continue. 

"Yes, you are my mother, and James'. We're twins and you'll be meeting us soon enough," Elizabeth explained with a smile. 

"The families are mingling. Roarke and Kat, and then there is Ayla and Luc. I can't comment on the Rayne/Boyle connection since they seem to be arguing....again," said James. 

"Elizabeth's good at that, she could argue Satan under the table," said Christ. 

"I have every time we've argued," she responded. The others laughed as if they were used to Christ and Elizabeth arguing on a regular basis. 

"If you don't mind," said Thomas, looking ever the Precept as he sat and crossed his legs. Daniel sat down next to Karen's chair and wrapped his long legs as he leaned his head on Karen's lap. She absentmindedly stroked his hair as she smiled at the banter between the team members. 

"Seem familiar, boss?" asked Nick. 

"Reminds me of home," said Phillip. 

"Brother, we are home and yet we're not," Nick answered. 

"Caros is back and up to his usual," said Thomas. 

At the mention of Caros, the young people straightened in their seats and listened intently. Ayla placed the plate and glass she'd gotten from Bethany in front of Daniel. 

"Milk, Ay?" he complained. 

"A growing boy needs his milk," she responded maternally. 

"Growing? If he grows anymore he'll be scraping the roof with his head," teased Luc. 

Ayla swatted Luc's arm before sitting down on his lap again. "Caros, doesn't that man ever give up?" 

"I take it you've dealt with him before?" asked Liam. 

"He seems to have a favoritism for this particular house," explained Ayla. 

"I'm sorry," Karen said. 

"It isn't your fault, mother, it's his," answered Christ. 

"Christ is right, Caros is an obsessive compulsive type," said Elizabeth. 

"She's a psychology major at San Francisco U," explained Daniel. 

"Unlike certain boys who have yet to figure out what their majors will be," she teased him. 

"I'll get one, just give me time," he groused. "There's just so much interesting stuff to study," said Daniel looking up at Derek. 

"Christ, I want you to get everything you can about Caros from the computer and I want the rest of you to check your journals for anything that might concern him or any of his minions," said Thomas. They all got up and started for the door. 

"Daniel, your milk," Ayla said and the young man shoulders slumped before heading back and picking up his glass of milk before leaving. 

"You have them trained well. You must show me before we leave how you do it. Maybe I can get control of this group of crazies," said Derek. 

"That is a lifetime of work and I don't know if I can teach it to you in the time we have, but one can but try," quipped Thomas as he led Derek to the hologram that protected the control room. 

* * *

"Major Kincaid is missing, Da'an," said Zo'or. 

"He isn't missing, he is working for me," Da'an answered. 

"Where?" Zo'or demanded. 

"Where he is needed." 

"I can demand the Synod make you tell me," he threatened. 

"And how would you explain that waste of the Synod's resources to them?" questioned Da'an. He hoped that Zo'or wouldn't call his bluff and force Da'an to tell him that Liam was aiding a rather unique group of humans. Luckily, Zo'or didn't call his bluff and Da'an left, intent on getting to his office to see if Liam had called in yet. 

Zo'or watched as Da'an left and then motioned to Sandoval who came over to him. "I want to know what Da'an and Major Kincaid are up to and I want to know now," Zo'or ordered. 

"Yes, Zo'or," Sandoval said and left with his own agenda, which was to find out who Liam Kincaid's new friends were. 

"Damn that wench!" Caros roared as he flung a glass against the wall in a rage. "No matter what I throw at those damnable mortals she manages to make it work to her advantage!" He stalked across the room and stared into the pool of water that allowed him to eavesdrop on Roarke and her associates. He slammed his hand into the water causing it to ripple unable to watch any further. 

"Tusung!" he bellowed and a young dark haired man rushed into the room. 

"Yes, my liege?" He answered as any servant would answer his master but his eyes said something completely different. 

"I want you to get back to that rotten little planet....Earth!" he ground out from between clenched teeth. "I want you to keep an eye on that woman and her friends!" 

"Yes, my liege," he answered and rose to leave. 

"Tusung, don't fail me or it won't go well for you." 

* * *

"Wow, nice digs," said Hayley as she and Liam took in the control room which Thomas had allowed them access to. 

"Is this the same setup you have in the Washington office?" asked Liam. 

"All our 'houses' have the same equipment," replied Christ. 

"All?" Hayley responded in a puzzled tone. 

"The house here and in Washington, New York, London, Moscow, Johannesburg, Cairo, Paris, Sydney...." He grinned mischievously at Hayley's shocked expression. 

"That's enough little brother, we have a worldwide network that works with each other. We trade information and people, depending on what's needed," Thomas explained. 

"If the resistance had this kind of network we'd toss the Taelons right off the planet," Hayley said. 

"No we wouldn't, believe me we've tried. That doesn't mean we won't keep trying," explained Thomas. "Christ, have you called up the previous run in with Caros that mother was involved in?" 

"Yep," said Christ and then popped some bubble gum. He swallowed quickly at the look Thomas sent him, he knew things were relaxed at the SF house but sometimes one had to just let the Precept have his way. Derek and the others were shown to a computer screen and allowed to refresh their memories, or in the case of Liam and Hayley, learn what happened. 

"I should fill Lily in on this," said Liam. Thomas looked as if he wasn't sure but then he pushed some buttons and the screen came to life with the image of Lily Marquette. 

"Liam?" she asked, puzzled as she looked at him from wherever she was. 

Liam looked at Thomas. "Lily, are you alone and in a secure place?" 

"Yes, but what...." she asked puzzled by his behavior. 

Liam filled her in on everything that had happened, including who and what the Legacy was. "Anything I can do?" she offered. 

"Hold yourself in reserve just in case, Captain," said Thomas as he came in view of the screen. He hit another button and Lily's image transferred to the large screen on the wall. Whatever she'd been about to say died on her lips as she stared at Liam and the man with him. 

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded. 

"I believe Major Kincaid has already told you that," replied Thomas. 

"Boogeyman and things that go bump in the night?" she asked in a disbelieving tone. 

"Those things that go bump in the night, Captain, have sharp teeth and long claws," Thomas responded. 

"Fine, I'm going into a fight with Casper," she answered, exasperated at the idea of what the Legacy stood for. 

* * *

Liam tossed and turned as he tried to sleep. They had worked for hours going over the information Thomas had made available to them. If what he had given them was mild compared to what he hadn't, Liam got the feeling the Taelons were misbehaving children compared to what these people dealt with day in and out. 

"Liam, if you don't settle down I'm going to be forced to beat you unconscious," teased Hayley. 

"Sorry, it's just difficult to get my mind to shut down long enough to sleep," he apologized to her. He stretched out and closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. He felt Hayley curl up next to him and sigh as she settled her head on his chest. Ayla had brought him tea earlier, saying it would help him sleep and that he would need it. Like her mother, she was attuned to people's needs and desires before they were aware of them themselves. 

Liam shifted restlessly in his sleep, turned his face into the pillow. He drifted in dreams of green hills that seemed to go on forever. His eyes shifted as they searched for a place someone could hide. Suddenly, out of nowhere Karen appeared as if she had conjured up by a spell. Her eyes held power as her lips rose in a small grin. 

"The time is near now, you must come to me. Only together can we stop him." Liam woke, gasping for breath and reaching out to her. 

"Liam, are you okay?" asked a sleepy but concerned Hayley. 

"Yeah, I'm fine just restless," he explained as he tossed aside the covers. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Nick told me there was a gym in the house. I thought if I worked out I'd get rid of this energy and be able to sleep." 

"Want me to come with?" 

"No, you get the sleep you need, I won't be long." He kissed her before heading out of the room. 

Liam quietly made his way down the steps carrying his shoes because he didn't want to chance the hardwood floors echoing and wake the others. He was positive the dream of Karen had been more than a dream, almost as if it had been a summoning to battle. He headed out of the house, stopping long enough to slip his shoes on. He made his way through the garden and into the woods beyond. He had no idea where he was going but he felt as if he knew exactly where he was supposed to be and that he was headed in the right direction. 

If anyone had told him he'd be so wrapped up in the resistance he might have called them insane. The idea that he'd not only know members of the Legacy but also be helping defeat an evil intent on harming humanity, he wouldn't have been able to find a word to describe what he was feeling especially right now. 

* * *

**PART 10 - Finale**

He arrived at a clearing just past the house's garden and found a bonfire burning. "Caddy?" he asked as he stepped into the clearing. 

She stepped out from some trees on the other edge of the clearing. "Liam, it's about time you arrived," she chided, but he saw the hint of amusement in her eyes. 

"Got here as soon as I could, you're not exactly clear at times," Liam teased in return. 

"Riddle me this, boy wonder. What is it that you have that Caros wants so bad that he brings us together regardless of good sense, time and so on?" 

"I'm assuming it's the part of me that came from Ha'gel." 

"Not exactly, but it helps, it's your human side. He fears not only the human heart but also the human soul. They have something he never will. Your mother Siobhan was proof of this. She was a loving compassionate woman who loved with everything in her but had no problem putting aside her emotions to fight and kill if necessary for those she loved. Didn't you ever wonder why she could love your father Ronald despite the things he did? It was because she could sense that despite his darkness, he still had a light in him that could grow and overcome the darkness if just nurtured. She believed she could nurture it but she never got the chance to do so." 

Liam turned away from the flames and reached up a hand to wipe away some suspicious water that seemed to be near his eyes. 

"Liam, she left you a legacy too you know," Karen said as she laid a hand on his arm. 

"She did?" he asked as he sniffled. 

"Yes, even though her line had forgotten they were bestowed with a gift," she explained. He straightened and stiffened slightly at the thought of what she could mean. "Liam, you are one of us," she said quietly and he stiffened even further before pulling away from her. "You're not a freak. You belong if only to us...." she trailed off. 

"You mean the Legacy?" he asked. 

"No I mean the Elders, I can trace your DNA back if you so desire." 

"What does that mean?" 

"We settle by the fire and we commune mentally as I peel back the layers of your ancestry to the common denominator." 

"Will it also help me access the memories that I have from my....parents?" 

"I don't know, but it can show you your history and perhaps in a way give you the roots you so desperately need and desire." 

Liam approached the fire and tossed another of the sticks onto it. He settled down in front of it and tried to warm his near frozen hands. He knew it wasn't because of the weather but because of his fear. If he said yes he would know his ancestors and possibly access all the memories of his ancestors that he carried within him. "What do we have to lose let's go for it," he finally answered as he brought his eyes up and met hers. Karen sat next to him and intoned some words Liam had a feeling he should know but couldn't remember why. Soon his mother's face appeared before his eyes and then blurred into other faces going faster and faster until he was dizzy. 

Finally, when the spinning stopped Liam gave silent thanks because he was sure he was going to be sick from the spinning. In front of him appeared two people. A woman with long dark hair and brown eyes wore a tunic of blue over pants of a darker blue color. The man next to her was almost Taelon like in his appearance. He, unlike the Taelons, was solid but seemed delicate and willowy. His ears were long and pointed and his fingers were long and slender. 'Tarok' was the name that seemed as if it were whispered down through the corridors of time to him. 'Sirah' was the name of the woman. The names were familiar and Liam gasped as he realized why. Tarok was the Elder and Sirah was from Atlantis and they were the ancestors of Karen the woman sitting next to him. 

"Welcome home, brother," she said to him with a warm smile. 

"We're related?!" asked a stunned Liam. 

"In one way or another almost everyone is related to each other." 

"Is that why I was brought to your time?" 

"It's possible, or it could be any number of things." 

"Riddles? Is that all you know how to talk in?" he asked, frustrated. 

"Sorry, sometimes my old soul overrides my young mind," she joked. 

"Caros wanted us to be together? That doesn't fit because then we'd be a bigger threat together than apart," Liam said. 

"He would have known we were genetically related and wouldn't have thrown us together. Which means someone else is involved." 

"Who?" 

"I have no idea. What do I look like, the other realm white pages?" she answered sarcastically before catching herself. "Sorry, but just because I work for the Ancient One doesn't mean I know everything there is to know." 

"How do we...." he trailed off, embarrassed that he was without thinking acting as if she had all the answers. 

"Find out who threw us together? We may never know. We may also never know whether they did it because they were on our side or they just didn't like the idea of Caros winning." 

"So we're distant cousins?" asked Liam. 

"So distant that it's amazing we still have any genetic connection. Let's finish," she said and Liam saw his vision return to the couple. 

He watched as they wed and had children and grew. Karen was descended from the first son, and he from the second. The second son had been part of Beckett's line and that's why his mother had known the runes and had a small talent. Unlike Karen's line, his mother's line had been broken and the ways failed to be taught to the next generation. 

They knew they had a special destiny but they didn't know exactly what it was. He saw as each generation learned of their past and he learned the ancient ways. He was stunned by the idea that he could have so much knowledge stored within him. Even though their line had forgotten their destiny, they always managed to find their way to where they needed to be. 

That's why Beckett had been there when the Kimerian Ha'gel had taken Sandoval's form. He wasn't just the hope of the Kimerian race but of the Elders, humans and every other sentient and non-sentient creature that existed, was existing and would exist. The fear that he wasn't up to being able to carry the weight she did reasserted itself but he refused to let it overwhelm him. He took a long shuddering breath and let it out as he let the knowledge wash over him. 

Karen took his face in both hands and lowered his face toward him. His hands rose and covered her hands where they cradled his face. She ran one hand down the side of his jaw, tracing it ever so gently. He shuddered under the light brush of her hand. "Open your mind to me," she whispered. Liam opened his mind and he felt her gently probe his thoughts. Her mind wrapped around his like an embrace. He saw a light -- a vision of unity with another soul such as he'd never known that was far beyond any mere joining of two bodies, or even the Taelon Commonality. 

The light pulled at him seductively, and he felt a comforting warmth, there was nothing but acceptance. Liam saw stars he not only felt he knew, but also that he could reach out and hold them in his hands. They whirled faster and faster until one of them filled his vision. 

Just then he felt as if he'd tumbled free into an endless space he felt them explode into each other's minds as they locked, linking together. There was nothing but a sensation that felt like a cool, shimmering wind that was his mind touching hers. At that moment he felt her inside him, through him, as if though she were him, pure power pouring through him. A low level current, a distant hum and then their bodies convulsed and he felt her mind pull back to a far corner of his mind. In time he was sure her mind would become like white noise in his. How he knew that he didn't know, but at the moment he didn't care. "Wow!" was all he was able to say as his voice seemed to be barely able to work. 

"I've done what I could to let you know yourself, but I can't say it'll come to anything," she explained. 

"You've done more then enough," he said and hugged her tightly. 

"Delightful," said a masculine voice and they turned to see Sandoval standing behind them. 

"Sandoval....?" Liam asked, puzzled and yet at the same time he knew it wasn't his father but something masquerading as his father. 

"No!" commanded a feminine voice and he turned to see Siobhan Beckett step forward. 

"Mother?!" Liam croaked and she turned to him and smiled gently at him. That's when he realized he could see through her and she hadn't returned to life. 

"My beautiful baby boy," she said in a light Irish lilt as her eyes shone with unshed tears. The faux Sandoval stepped towards them. "No!" She swung a hand and the he flew through the air slamming into a tree. His appearance flickered and he transformed into a hideous creature that smiled maliciously at them. He launched himself at Siobhan and they ran into each other disappearing with a tortured scream. 

"Mother!?" Liam screamed and tried to run towards the spot he'd last seen his mother. 

"Liam!" Karen grabbed his arm; he sank to the ground as he broke into wretched sobs. "Shh," she said as she drew his head to her and crooned as she rocked him gently. She waited until he cried himself out. 

"I'm sorry," he told her as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands. 

"Whatever for?" she asked. 

"For falling apart on you like this." 

"What, you don't think I fall apart? You don't think that sometimes I smile when I want to punch someone or run screaming into the night?" Liam smiled at the idea that she'd ever run but he had no doubt she wouldn't hesitate to slug someone who deserved it. "A friend named Foster once said that when we reveal our weaknesses that's when we show our greatest strength and that's the paradox of being human." 

* * *

"Liam?" Hayley murmured as she reached for him and found empty bed instead. "Liam?" She sat up, suddenly wide awake and afraid for him. She rose and drew on the robe she'd hung on the bedpost. As she exited her room, she spotted Derek dressed and coming out of his room despite the fact it was three in the morning. "Where's Liam?" she demanded as she grabbed Derek's arms roughly. 

"With Roarke, I assume, wherever she is." 

"What do you mean wherever?!" she demanded. 

"I don't keep her on a leash," he answered. "However much I'd like to," he said so low Hayley almost missed it. "If I remember right, Nick's security covered the estate so if they're on the estate we'll be able to find them." 

"And if they aren't?" Hayley asked. 

"You had to ask me that didn't you?" Derek responded as he led her down the stairs. 

* * *

"Why don't we go back to the house and get some sleep?" Karen suggested. 

"My mom...." he trailed off. 

She felt a twinge of guilt at seeing his fear and concern. "She's all right Liam." 

"Are you sure?" he asked with a quivering tone. The big bad Companion Protector and he was worried about his mommy. If the situation weren't so serious she'd fall down laughing. 

"I'm fine, my darling," came the soft Irish lilt and they turned to see Siobhan Beckett smiling at Liam. 

"Mother!" He raced over to her and hugged her tightly to him. Karen raised an eyebrow at Siobhan, who gave her a defiant glare. She knew what being corporal meant and what a strain it had to be on Siobhan, especially after the recent battle, but she also knew that Beckett wouldn't go quietly without the chance to hug her baby boy at least once. 

A mother desperate to hold a child she'd been so long denied. It was a shame fate hadn't been kinder and allowed mother and son to have sometime together before leaving him holding his dying, bloody mother as her life slipped away in a cave. Again, the parallels between Liam and Derek shook her. Replace the mother with a father and make it a cave in Peru and you had a teenage Derek. She wondered if there was some kind of cosmic connection between Derek and Liam? 

"My beautiful baby," she said as she held Liam's face. Siobhan led him over to a fallen tree and sat drawing him down next to her. "Did you see the star?" she asked and Karen frowned at the cryptic message. 

"Yes, mother, it was always watching over me and I knew it was you." 

"I can't get over how handsome you are, you grow more handsome every day," she exclaimed. "So much like your father," she told him and Karen saw Liam flinch. 

"She meant that Sandoval is a good person like you, Liam," Karen explained. 

"Sandoval good?" he replied sarcastically. 

"He's only human, my sweet son, and sometimes humans can be broken. Ron does what he has to to survive and make sure you survive," Siobhan told him. 

"He tried repeatedly to kill me," he answered. 

"He knows he has a son he wants and needs to protect but he doesn't know it's you. He's had some pain that he expects people to hurt him so he hurts them first. He's doing everything he can to change the world and maybe he doesn't always go about the right way but at least he tries," she defended him. "You have the good parts of Ron and me, the part that hasn't gotten disillusioned and cynical," Siobhan explained. 

"I don't know, he's my father and I love him and yet there are times I want to kill him," Liam replied. 

"Standard parent-child relationship," quipped Nick as he entered the clearing holstering his gun. Derek, Hayley and Alex followed him into the clearing. "You better have a good explanation because you got me out of a warm bed with a warm woman for a muddy and cold forest," Nick grumbled. 

Karen tried to hide a grin as Alex swatted the back of his head. "Can't you behave even in front of company?" she asked in mock disgust. 

"My apologies ma'am," Nick bowed in a courtly manner to Siobhan. 

"Nick Boyle, Alex Moreau, Derek Rayne and Karen Roarke my mother Siobhan Beckett," Liam introduced them. 

"Wait, I thought your mom was dead?" Nick asked puzzled. 

"I am," Siobhan responded and smiled at the comprehension on Nick's face. 

"You're doing a Casper," Nick replied with a wide grin. 

"Casper?" asked Liam and Siobhan. 

"Pop culture circa 1970 a.k.a. Casper the friendly ghost. An animated show about a ghostly little boy who, despite being dead, wanted to be friends with everyone," intoned Karen. 

"The encyclopedia strikes again," Nick teased. 

"Boyle, I can let Caros kill you." 

"Actually, Roarke and I can help him kill you," said Alex playfully. 

"Liam?" asked Hayley as she came further into the clearing. 

"Mom, I want you to meet the woman who is my life, literally. Siobhan Beckett, this is Hayley Simmons, the woman I plan I spending the rest of my life with." Hayley blushed as she came over and Liam drew her into his arms before planting a kiss on the top of her head. 

"I came to see my son and make sure he was all right and from what I can see you are taking wonderful care of him Hayley," Siobhan said. 

"Thank you," answered Hayley, unsure how to handle what was happening. 

"I have to go now," Siobhan said and Liam clasped her hand tightly as if he didn't want to let her go. "I have to, but that doesn't mean I won't be here when you need me. I'll always be watching over my pride and joy, my beautiful baby boy, Liam. Take care of your father for me and you take care of my boy," she told Hayley. 

"I promise I'll do my best to keep him safe," she replied. Siobhan reached up to plant a kiss on Liam's cheek and just as she did she faded from sight with what sounded like a sigh. 

"It's time we all headed back to bed," said Derek in a tone that sounded like an order. 

"Can't help yourself can you?" Karen murmured quietly to him. 

Derek smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I just want to get you back into bed so I can do unspeakable things to you," he teased. 

"Speak, please," she replied and pinched his backside. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her but the look in his eyes told her that he was going to get even with her. "You okay?" she asked placing a hand on Liam's arm. 

"Yes, my mom's visit was bittersweet. It was too short and yet it let me have what I desperately needed." Hayley looked up at him puzzled. "Every boy needs his mom every now and then," Liam joked in a quiet voice. 

They all headed back to the house; when they arrived they headed upstairs to sleep. but Derek kissed Karen on the head and murmured he'd be up in a moment. "Don't be long." she murmured back and headed up the stairs after the others. 

Derek strolled nonchalantly into the library and poured himself a brandy. He took a sip from it. "Want a drink?" he asked no one in particular. 

"Love one," said Thomas, leaning out of the shadows into the light. He poured another brandy and handed it to Thomas. 

Derek sat down in the chair opposite of Thomas. "Want me to switch on the light?" he asked Derek. 

"Not necessary, but if you need it go ahead," he teased the younger man. 

Thomas smiled mischievously. "Unlike some, I'm not an old man in need of light." 

Derek raised an eyebrow as Thomas eyes began to glow silver. Moments later the glow faded away. "Show off," Derek mumbled with a chuckle. 

"Yes, but definitely a handy thing to have," he responded. 

"No doubt," Derek murmured in reply. 

"Caros will keep coming until we find a way to deal with him permanently," Thomas said. 

"Well I'm assuming since you are still dealing with him it wasn't likely my team came up with anything," Derek replied. 

"Yes, but then people like Caros aren't easy to destroy. The best we can hope for is a Mexican standoff." 

"Then here's to Mexican standoffs." Derek raised his glass in salute. 

* * *

Liam had gotten back in bed and Hayley had sprawled across him mumbling something about ideas of late night hikes before drifting off to sleep. He drifted off only moments later himself to find he was in a place he didn't recognize but felt extremely familiar to him. 

"Child," said a soft musical voice and he spun to find himself face to face with his ancestress Sirah! 

"What is....?!" he asked surprised. 

"It is time," she said solemnly as she took his hand and led him to a room. He looked down at himself and found instead of his boxers he wore pants and a long sleeved tunic which again he didn't recognize but felt almost second nature to wear. The door opened and a woman wearing a long white dress had a leg up leaning on a chair as she strapped something to her leg. He admired her well-formed leg as her long hair blocked her face. 

She placed her leg on the floor and smoothed her dress down before brushing the hair out of her face. Liam took in a surprised gasp as he realized he'd been ogling Roarke's legs. He glanced at Sirah who tried to hide a grin of amusement. 

"Hi Liam, ready to go?" she asked. 

"Go where?" Liam asked, confused. Liam squeaked and jerked. 

"To battle, sweet meat," Daria said as she walked by with a wicked grin. 

Liam rubbed his backside. "Battle? I thought this was a dream?" 

"It is and it isn't. It's a battle on the dreamscape and don't think just because you are fighting in your dreams that it won't have any effect on the outside world," Karen responded. 

"Die here and you die out there," said Mara as she strapped on a sword belt. Karen started to strap a belt around his waist. 

"Wait I wasn't told anything about dreamscapes," he protested. 

"Too late now, all you need remember is it's real for you." 

* * *

Derek woke as the sun came into the window and stretched before turning to give Karen a kiss. He kissed her and was puzzled by the fact that her lips were ice cold. "Karen?" he asked concerned as he gently shook her. She didn't respond and he shook her a little harder. He still didn't get a response. "Rachel!" he yelled and got out of bed and headed towards the door. The door flew open, revealing Nick and the rest of the team. Rachel didn't even wait but took her bag and headed over to the bed to check on Karen. Ayla sat on the opposite side and held her hand slightly over Karen's head. 

"The battle has begun," she said softly. 

Just then Hayley raced into the room. "I can't get Liam to wake up," she cried out frightened. 

"It's all right, just wait and he'll be fine," Thomas told her. 

Christian gave Thomas a look that suggested he was headed for a lot of trouble by not telling Hayley there was a chance Liam might never awaken. There had been horror stories their teachers had told them about how untrained people had become lost or trapped. Even skilled people had been known to get lost or trapped in the dreamscape and at best never wake up and at worst mentally, physically and spiritually died. 

"Why don't we get you some breakfast and let the professional handle it?" Christ suggested as he wrapped a comforting arm around Hayley and took her along with the others downstairs. Thomas gave Christ a nod, thanking him for clearing the room as he went by. Christ clapped a hand on Nick's shoulder and Nick returned it before herding Kat and Alex out of the room. Alex looked ill as she held Kat tightly to her as if afraid she might go missing if the woman allowed her out of her sight. 

* * *

"Caros!" Daria bellowed and the man in question swung around to face them. 

"At last you've come to your senses and joined the right side," he said with a sneer. 

"Yeah, the good guys," quipped Liam. "We're here to kick your butt. We'll mail what's left back to your mother," he taunted. Karen smiled. 

"He's spent too much time with you," murmured Mara, who stood next to Karen. 

"Is that a good or bad thing?" she asked and Mara just shrugged her shoulders in response. 

"Impertinent little half breed isn't he?" Caros asked. 

"Actually he's a two breed, human and Kimerian," responded Daria. 

"You always did prefer inferior creatures. Perhaps due to a flaw in your genetic makeup that makes you relate with them because you're just as inferior." He smirked. 

Daria started forward but Karen placed a restraining hand on her. "He's trying to make you mad so you'll make a mistake. Remember, use the passion as fuel don't let it consume you," Karen warned. The three women exchanged looks and then as one they let out a battle cry that in some distant part of Liam's mind he recognized it as an ancient Irish battle cry. Warriors lunged forward around him as they raced to meet Caros' men in battle. Liam drew his sword and slashed at the swords that came his way in an attempt to ward off a number of people intent on killing him. 

He felt the vibration as his sword clashed with another right down to his bones. He didn't know how he was doing it but he seemed to know how to feint and parry as if he'd been doing it for years. He swung an arc that took out a man about to kill Mara and gave her a helping hand up. Mara's eyes widened in fear and Liam felt a searing as he turned to face whatever she'd seen. 

Hayley gave a fearful gasp and rushed over to the bed as a red spot blossomed out of nowhere on Liam's forearm as he groaned and a look of pain appeared. He hadn't woken yet but he had tossed and turned some in his sleep and until now that had reassured Hayley. Despite being unable to awaken him and now the wounds, Hayley could almost make herself believe he was just tired and taking a nap. 

"Alex!" she called in a panic as she pressed her hands down on his arm in an attempt to staunch the blood flow. Alex arrived with Ayla and proceeded to bandage his wounds. 

"It looks like the battle in the dreamscape may not be going too well. What affects their dream selves affects their bodies. If they die in the dreamscape, they die period," Christ explained. 

Nick turned and hurried over to Karen's room only to find what he feared the most had come true. Derek and Rachel tended Karen as wounds appeared on her still sleeping form. She currently had a black eye that traced from under her eyebrow all the way down her face to the cheek and was turning delightful colors of brown, purple and so on. Derek glanced up distractedly at Nick's arrival and then returned to tending Karen. He stroked her hair gently out of her face just as she began to violently thrash about on the bed. He didn't know whether restraining would cause her more injury or save her from worse injury. She let out a bloodcurdling wail as she struck out wildly with both her arms catching Derek in the face with a fist. 

"Always hitting me aren't you?" he asked, bemused by what had happened. He kissed her forehead gently and checked the bandages again. "You and I are meant to be and you should have brought me along, but I'll be waiting for your return," he murmured in her ear. 

* * *

"Nice eye," Liam said. 

"You think so? I was thinking it was a little too much. Maybe a different color or smaller perhaps would be more up to fashion standards?" Karen asked with a silly grin. 

"Personally, I think it fits in perfectly with your fashion standards," quipped Mara and then ducked as Karen tossed a wadded up cloth at her. 

"So Caros appears to be ready to begin our little dance again." Daria nodded towards the appearance across the battlefield of Caros minions. 

"Fine with me; it gets me away from this stuff they had the bad taste to call food." Mara gave a foul look at the dish in her hand before tossing the food into the trash heap and the plate with others in a pile. 

"Well you could stand to lose a few pounds anyway," teased Daria. Mara didn't answer, but she did fling a gesture to Daria that left no doubt to her opinion of what Daria had just said. 

"I didn't know she did that so well," said Karen. 

"Do it? I'm surprised she even knew what the gesture was, let alone enough to do it properly. That's what I like about Mara, always fill of surprises," she grinned wolfishly before heading forward to do battle. 

"Once more into the breech, dear friends," said Liam. 

"Correction, once more into the breech, dear brother," Karen said before lunging at a warrior with a snarl. Liam smiled widely; he'd never had a conventional version of a family. With three parents, foster parents in Augur and Lily and so on he'd never managed to lead a life the way a normal human would of but somehow he managed to have a good life regardless of Zo'or and his plans. He swung his sword towards the warrior who came at him and brought the man down swiftly. Liam found himself struck from behind and he stumbled, falling to the ground. He looked up and found himself staring up at Caros himself. 

"Today is a good day to die half breed," he snarled and swung his sword down towards an unarmed Liam's head. He brought his arms up in a protective gesture and moments later a resounding clang reached his ears. 

"I don't think so," said Karen as she parried Caros sword away from Liam. Furious, Caros swung at her and their swords clashed and clanged off of each other's but despite the fact that he had height and weight on the diminutive woman she held her own. Caros' sword slid past her sword and stabbed into her stomach up to the hilt. The blade came out her other side and she stared down at the sword in shock as she dropped her weapon. 

"NO!" screamed Liam as he rose and sped over to her in time to catch her as she fell. He gently lowered her to the floor as he curled one arm around her as he activated his _shakaquava._ He gently ran his palm along her wound as he tried to at least ease her pain. 

Caros tried to swing his sword at Liam but both Daria and Mara arrived and fought him back away from Liam and Karen. 

"You're going to be fine," he whispered brokenly to her. 

"I know Liam, but first I need your help. Help me up to my feet." 

"You're hurt!?" said a surprised and angry Liam. 

"I know but I also know that if I don't stand now Caros has won and I can't let that happen," she told him as she tried to prop herself up. He helped her to her feet and supported her with an arm around her waist. She grasped the hand that held her waist with her hand and it felt as if a circuit had been completed. Liam felt an amazing level of energy flood through his body and saw his wounds knitting together by themselves. 

"Don't waste your strength on my wounds," Liam admonished her. 

"I'm not," she said as she stood straighter. Like him, her wounds seemed to heal and she took Liam's palm and face it outward before placing hers in the same position but she didn't release his other hand. "You have untapped talents you can't even begin to understand Liam, and the _shakaquava_ is just the beginning." 

He looked down at himself to find his whole body glowing with an eerie golden white light that had streaks of blue in it. He looked up at Karen and she smiled at him reassuringly before nodding towards Daria and Mara who were losing. He felt her send a mental message to the two women and they quickly backed away. He felt the light grow and then it shot out of his hand towards Caros, enveloping him. He screeched an unearthly and possibly inhuman sound as he seemed to twist into a hideous form. The fighting around them ceased and after seeing Caros, his minions deserted the battle. 

* * *

"Hayley?" Liam called in a rusty voice and she joined him weeping gratefully to see him awake and apparently uninjured. Karen entered the room, wrapped in a blanket with a worried Derek and Nick. Rachel gave her a disapproving frown but said nothing to her or Liam as he tried to sit up. "Did we win?" 

"Depends on who you ask. This battle, yes we won; but Caros, like pure evil, can never be completely destroyed and he'll most definitely be back," she warned. 

"And we'll be waiting for him," said Thomas with a finality that almost made Liam's blood freeze over. 

"What can I say, he's his father's son," Karen said and grinned mischievously. 

"He most definitely is, and I'm most grateful for it," said Liam. 

"Is it over?" asked Hayley. 

"For now it is." Liam hugged her to him and kissed her deeply, grateful to be back and able to hold her in his arms for a moment there he doubted he ever would again. "I'm going to miss you." Liam hugged Karen to him. 

"And I you, little brother. Take care of yourself and Hayley. She's a winner, don't let her get away," she told him. 

Hayley blushed furiously. "I'm going to miss you but not the excitement you guys brought to my life." 

"What can I say, we know how to show a lady a good time," teased Nick as he kissed her cheek and hugged Hayley tightly. 

"Let me in there," Phillip joked as he nudged Nick aside to hug Hayley himself. 

"May the worst of your future be the best of your past," Alex said and exchanged a look with Karen who smiled but said nothing. Alex hugged both Hayley and Liam before dabbing at her eyes. 

"Now Alex, don't get started, you'll get me going," warned Rachel as she hugged Liam. They said their goodbyes to Liam and Hayley and then the members of the current San Francisco house. 

"Now you take care of my little girl," Nick warned Christian. 

"I will sir, but one question: who's going to protect me from her?" he asked mischievously. 

Elizabeth elbowed him and hugged Nick as tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Here now, we've got a lifetime together my little angel," Nick said as he kissed her on the forehead. 

"Mama!" she wailed and threw herself into Alex's arms. 

"There, there, my little one, I'll always be here in spirit if not in body for my little girl, for you too James," Alex said and then wrapped her arm around the tall young man as he pressed his face into her neck. 

"Time to go people," Karen called. The others said a few more goodbyes before coming over to her. 

"It's good to know that the San Francisco is in such capable hands," Derek said as he met Thomas' gaze. 

"Thank you, sir," Thomas responded. 

Karen began the spell that would return them to their proper time. "Are you sure you can take all of us home?" Nick asked worriedly. 

"Drop that one in Mount Saint Helen's, mother," teased Ayla. 

Karen smiled at her daughter. "Despite his bad manners my darling, he is occasionally useful," Karen teased. 

"Only occasionally?" teased Nick. 

"Watch it Boyle, you're usefulness can wear out quickly," she threatened playfully as she continued to weave the spell. They blinked out of existence for a moment only to return to the room they'd just left. 

"Something went wrong," Nick said. 

"I don't think so, here's the book I was reading this....morning?" said Alex holding up a small paperback novel. 

"We're home?" asked Rachel as Kat raced out of the room and up the stairs. "Kat?!" she called after her as she headed out of the library and up the stairs. 

"Calendar says home sweet home, didn't even miss a second if the clock is right," said Phillip. 

"We have to talk about your penchant for danger," Derek said as he took Karen's arm. 

"My penchant for danger? Don't get me started on Angelique, Lamia, et cetera. Shall I continue?" Karen replied. 

"I'm late for a meeting," said Kristen as she glanced at her watch. 

"I was supposed to pick up some files in San Francisco so if you want a ride meet me out front," said Phillip. She headed upstairs and Phillip grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. "So what are you two going to be doing?" he asked Nick and Alex. 

"Enjoying the return to normalcy," said Nick. 

"Or as normal as it gets here at the state asylum," teased Alex. 

"Oh doctor I think I need my medication," Nick purred at Alex. She grinned goofily at him. 

"Hmm, looks like you need a double dosage," she quipped and placing her hands on either of Nick's cheeks she drew him to her and kissed him. Phillip shook his head and left the room as Alex broke the kiss. 

"I think I'm still sick," joked Nick. 

"I know you are Boyle, but I think I may have something to help," Alex rose and led Nick up the stairs. 

THE END 

* * *

© 2001   
Please send comments to the author!   
Part 6 added 08/07/02   
Part 7 added 01/08/02   
Part 8 added 02/22/02   
Part 9 added 04/26/02   
PArt 10 added 08/07/02 

08/09/2001 

* * *


End file.
